Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 6 of 6
Full-Text Articles in Law
Apportioning Liability In Maryland Tort Cases: Time To End Contributory Negligence And Joint And Several Liability, Donald G. Gifford, Christopher J. Robinette
Apportioning Liability In Maryland Tort Cases: Time To End Contributory Negligence And Joint And Several Liability, Donald G. Gifford, Christopher J. Robinette
Donald G Gifford
The Article presents a comprehensive proposal for assigning liability in tort cases according to the parties’ respective degrees of fault. The authors criticize the Court of Appeals of Maryland’s recent decision in Coleman v. Soccer Association of Columbia declining to abrogate contributory negligence, particularly the court’s notion that it should not act because of the legislature’s repeated failure to do so. The Article provides a comprehensive analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of comparative fault, including its effect on administrative costs, claims frequency, claims severity, insurance premiums, and economic performance. The authors propose the legislative enactment of comparative fault and …
The Quest For The Next ‘Solvent Bystander’ In Asbestos Litigation: Will Texas Resume The Search?, Richard O. Faulk
The Quest For The Next ‘Solvent Bystander’ In Asbestos Litigation: Will Texas Resume The Search?, Richard O. Faulk
Richard Faulk
Questions abound regarding the Bostic v. Georgia Pacific case. Is Texas preparing to resume the “endless search” for the next “solvent bystander?” Is the Texas Supreme Court considering a departure not only from Flores, but also from decades of settled Texas law regarding causation in tort cases? Hopefully, the memory of the disastrous and wasteful “cold war” of asbestos litigation will persist and rational common-law limits will not be sacrificed to resurrect a demonstrably abusive system.
R2dford: Autonomous Vehicles And The Legal Implications Of Varying Liability Structures, Alexander P. Herd
R2dford: Autonomous Vehicles And The Legal Implications Of Varying Liability Structures, Alexander P. Herd
Alexander P Herd
The World Health Organization estimates that by 2030, traffic accidents will be the fifth leading cause of death in the world. Thus when Google announced that it had designed an autonomous car which could reduce traffic accidents by as much as ninety percent, there was cause for excitement. Some states have already started legislation to permit the use of autonomous cars in anticipation of the release later this decade. Courts and lawmakers need to consider who will be liable when the car that drives itself crashes. Standards used in aviation and naval cases regarding auto-pilot can be applied to the …
Addiction Postulates And Legal Causation, Or Who's In Charge, Person Or Brain?, David L. Wallace
Addiction Postulates And Legal Causation, Or Who's In Charge, Person Or Brain?, David L. Wallace
David L Wallace
In this article, I address the persistent confusion over the meaning of a medical diagnosis of drug addiction or substance dependence in the courtroom, specifically in regard to legal judgments about the reasonable legal person, causation, and individual responsibility in civil actions. Using the example of the Engle tobacco litigation in Florida, where the plaintiffs have reduced mind to brain and claimed that the clinical status of addiction excuses or mitigates the smoker’s responsibility for the health consequences of smoking based on brain processes, I examine the conceptual difficulties presented by use of biomedical models of behavior in a legal …
Lawyers, Food, And Money, David L. Wallace
Sue My Car Not Me: Products Liability And Accidents Involving Autonomous Vehicles, Jeffrey K. Gurney
Sue My Car Not Me: Products Liability And Accidents Involving Autonomous Vehicles, Jeffrey K. Gurney
Jeffrey K Gurney
Autonomous vehicles will revolutionize society within the decade. These cars will cause accidents. Tort liability, however, is not ready for the introduction of autonomous vehicles, and, thus, liability will not be assessed to the party that is responsible for the accident. This Article addresses the liability of autonomous vehicle by examining products liability through the use of four scenarios: the Distracted Driver; the Diminished Capabilities Driver; the Disabled Driver; and the Attentive Driver.Based on those scenarios, this Article argues that the autonomous technology manufacturer should be liable for accidents while the vehicle is in autonomous mode. This Article suggests that …