Table of Contents
Preface v
1 The Nature and Functions of Tort Law 1
I Introduction 1
II Procedure in a Tort Suit: Where Tort Law Comes From 5
III The Nature of Tort Law 16
2 Intentional Physical and Emotional Harm 24
I The Personal Injury Torts 24
II Defenses 35
III The Property Torts 40
3 The Negligence Standard 51
I A Page of History 52
II The Reasonable Person Standard 58
III The Negligence "Calculus" 68
IV Custom 76
V Malpractice 81
VI Violation of Statutes 91
VII Negligence and No Negligence as a Matter of Law: The Roles of Judge and Jury 95
4 Proof of Negligence 101
I The Burden of Proof 101
II Res Ipsa Loquitur 106
5 Cause-In-Fact 116
I The "But For" Test 116
II Multiple Causes, Indeterminate Causes, and Exceptions to the Conventional Test 122
6 The Scope of Liability: Proximate Cause 141
I The Basics 142
II Advanced Issues 146
III Judge, Jury, and the Underlying Purpose of Proximate Cause 161
7 Defenses Based on Plaintiffs Conduct 165
I Contributory Negligence 165
II Comparative Negligence 172
III Assumption of Risk 182
8 Strict Liability and Nuisance 188
I Theories of Strict Liability 188
II Traditional Strict Liability 197
III Nuisance 204
IV Vicarious Liability 213
9 Products Liability 216
I The Era of Contract Privity 217
II The Era of Negligence 220
III The Era of Transition and the Rise of Warranty Rules 222
IV The Modem Era: "Strict" Liability for Defective Products 226
V Products Liability Defenses 236
VI Disclaimers, Bystanders, and Consumer Sovereignty 237
VII Federal Preemption 239
10 Damages 241
I Compensatory Damages 241
II Collateral Sources and Benefits 249
III Damages in Wrongful Death, Survival and Consor-tium Actions 255
IV Punitive Damages 258
11 Affirmative and Limited Duties 260
I Rescue 262
II Special Relationships 264
III Other Affirmative Duties and Policy-Based Limits on Them 265
IV Premises Liability 267
V Negligently Inflicted Emotional Distress: "Pure" Emotional Loss 270
VI "Pure" Economic Loss 277
12 Insurance, Tort Reform, and No-Fault Systems 281
I A Brief Primer on Insurance and a Conceptual Framework 281
II Statutory Reform of Tort Doctrine 284
III Workers Compensation 285
IV Auto No-Fault 288
V Targeted No-Fault in Other Fields 295
13 Reputational and Dignitary Harms: Defamation and Invasion of Privacy 299
I Defamation 299
II Invasion of Privacy 308
14 Economic Harms: Misrepresentation and Interference with Contract or Prospective Contractual Advantage 313
I Misrepresentation 313
II Intentional Interference with Contract 323
III Intentional Interference with Prospective Advantage 324
Table of Cases 327
Index 331