Torts Commons^™

Public Policy And Workers’ Rights: Wrongful Discharge Discipline Actions And Reasonable Good Faith Beliefs, Ann C. Mcginley, Nicole Buonocore Porter

Scholarly Works

In this paper, Professor Ann McGinley responds to Chapter 5 of the ALI's Restatement of the Law: Employment Law ("Restatement of Employment Law"), concerning "The Tort of Wrongful Discharge in Violation of Public Policy."' It proceeds in five parts. Following an introduction in Part I, Part II summarizes generally the provisions of Chapter 5, the Working Group's objections to the earlier version and recommendations for changes, and explains (when appropriate) where the final version deviated from the prior version. Part III argues that this chapter should have kept the prior version's protection against wrongful discipline instead of protecting only against …

A Matter Of Policy: United States Application Of The Law Of Armed Conflict, Chris Jenks

Faculty Journal Articles and Book Chapters

To what extent does the law of armed conflict (LOAC) apply to the United States military fighting in armed conflicts? Though the question seems straightforward enough, the answer is anything but. This article explains, in general, why the answer is imprecise and unsatisfying as applied to the most prevalent type of contemporary armed conflict, non-international. More specifically, this article argues that the U.S. government's primary response of claiming to apply LOAC as a matter of policy when and where that law wouldn't otherwise apply is superficially persuasive but not substantively responsive.

A Major Change For Minor Victims: A Call To Amend Rhode Island's Statute Of Limitations For Children's Medical Malpractice Suits, Brandon Ruggieri

Roger Williams University Law Review

No abstract provided.

A New Hope: Tortious Interference With An Expected Inheritance In Rhode Island, Rebecca M. Murphy, Samantha M. Clarke

Roger Williams University Law Review

No abstract provided.

2016 Survey Of Rhode Island Law: Cases And Public Laws Of Note

Roger Williams University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Publicly Funded Private Security: A Critical Examination Of Georgia Law Pertaining To The Private Employment Of Off-Duty Police Officers, Ryan L. Giles

Georgia Law Review

Generally, employers of private security guards are
vicariously liable for the actions of their employees. This
incentivizes employers to protect against unnecessary risks
to the public and to internalize the social costs of their
business activities. In Georgia, however, this centuries-old

doctrine of respondeat superior does not apply when a
private business hires an off-duty police officer.
Several consequences arise from the current state of the
law: inconsistency in application, unfairness to victims
and imprudent taxpayer subsidization of private
businesses. This Note illustrates that the current law is
both unjust and unwise by contrasting business liability
for police torts with …

Time Is Money: An Empirical Assessment Of Non-Economic Damages Arguments, John Campbell, Bernard Chao, Christopher Robertson

Faculty Scholarship

Non-economic damages (pain and suffering) are the most significant and variable components of liability. Our survey of 51 U.S. jurisdictions shows wide heterogeneity in whether attorneys may quantify damages as time-units of suffering (“per diem”) or demand a specific amount (“lump sum”). Either sort of large number could exploit an irrational anchoring effect.

We performed a realistic online, video-based experiment with 732 human subjects. We replicate prior work showing that large lump sum demands drive larger jury verdicts, but surprisingly find no effect of similarly-sized per diem anchors. We do find per diem effects on binary liability outcomes, and thus …

Time To Act: Correcting The Inadequacy Of Youth Concussion Legislation Through A Federal Act, Lance K. Spaude

Marquette Law Review

Concussions in sports are inevitable. Although an increased focus on concussions in youth sports has improved understandings, the prevalence of concussions in youth sports, the health and safety dangers they pose, and the legal liability they create are still relative unknowns. Despite remaining unknowns, a greater understanding of the long-term effects of concussions and the increased dangers in head impacts in youth athletics in recent years has resulted in lawsuits against the youth coaches, schools, and state athletic associations for athlete injuries suffered as a result of repetitive head trauma and concussions.

This Comment focuses on the need for federal …

Chapter 32, Sections 69–70: California Seismic Safety Capital Access Loan Program, Bryce Fick

University of the Pacific Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Model For The Use Of Adr To Efficiently Distribute A Significant Settlement Fund In Mass Claims Litigation Without Sacrificing An Individualized Assessment Of Claims, Lynn P. Cohn

Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution

Courts in the United States struggle to deal with litigation involving large numbers of claimants. A challenge in these cases is balancing the need for efficiency with opportunities for individualized claim assessment. Generally speaking, efficiency can be sacrificed at the expense of individualization, and vice-versa, but it is often difficult to strike a middle ground. The settlement process described in this article successfully managed this tension and as such can serve as a model for distributing a substantial fund in mass claims litigation.

This article will begin by detailing the legal background of the litigation of A v. B (2013). …

Hurricanes, Fraud, And Insurance: The Supreme Court Weighs In On, But Does Not Wade Into, The Concurrent Causation Conundrum In State Farm Fire And Casualty Company V. Rigsby, Chris French

Faculty Scholarship

In the December 6, 2016 Supreme Court decision, State Farm v. Rigsby, a homeowner’s house was damaged by Hurricane Katrina. The homeowner had homeowners insurance with State Farm and a flood insurance policy that was administered by State Farm on behalf of the federal government. The claims adjusters assigned by State Farm to handle the homeowner’s claim allegedly were instructed by State Farm to misclassify wind damage as flood damage in order to shift State Farm’s own liability for the loss to the federal government. The claims handlers filed a lawsuit against State Farm under the False Claims Act …

3d Printing: What Could Happen To Products Liability When Users (And Everyone Else In Between) Become Manufacturers, James M. Beck, Matthew D. Jacobson

Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology

No abstract provided.

Combating Counterfeits: Using U.S. Law To Analyze The Potential Application Of China's Amended Trademark Law To Online Marketplaces, Kerrijane John

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Despite Trump, Federal ‘Tort Reform’ Makes A Hasty Retreat, Joanne Doroshow

Other Publications

No abstract provided.

A New Balance Of Evils: Prosecutorial Misconduct, Iqbal, And The End Of Absolute Immunity, Mark Niles

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

Criminal prosecutors wield immense power in the criminal justice system. While the majority of prosecutors exercise this power in a professional manner, there is compelling evidence of a serious and growing problem ofprosecutorial misconduct in this country. Although much prosecutorial misconduct results in the violation of the constitutional and other legal rights of criminal defendants, prosecutors arep rotectedfrom any liability arisingf rom these violations in all but the most exceptional cases by the defense of absolute immunity. The US. Supreme Court has justified the application ofabsolute prosecutorial immunity, in part, by noting that other means of incentivizing appropriate prosecutorial conduct …

Value Hypocrisy And Policy Sincerity: A Food Law Case Study, Joshua Ulan Galperin

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

t is tempting to say that in 2017 there is a unique problem of hypocrisy in politics, where words and behaviors are so often in opposition. In fact, hypocrisy is nothing new. A robust legal and psychological literature on the importance of procedural justice demonstrates a longstanding concern with developing more just governing processes. One of the important features of this scholarship is that it does not focus only on the consequences of policymaking, in which behaviors, but not words, are relevant. Instead, it respects the intrinsic importance of fair process, lending credence not only to votes but also to …

A Tort In Search Of A Remedy: Prying Open The Courthouse Doors For Legal Malpractice Victims, Susan S. Fortney

Fordham Law Review

Using this broad connotation of justice, this Article questions whether many victims of legal malpractice are denied access to justice. In writing about the regulatory function of legal malpractice as a tort, Professor John Leubsdorf argues that legal malpractice relates to three important functions of the law of lawyering: “[D]elineating the duties of lawyers, creating appropriate incentives and disincentives for lawyers in their dealings with clients and others, and providing access to remedies for those injured by improper lawyer behavior.” Arguably, persons injured by lawyer misconduct are denied access to justice if our civil liability system does not provide them …

A Tort In Search Of A Remedy: Prying Open The Courthouse Doors For Legal Malpractice Victims, Susan S. Fortney

Fordham Law Review

Using this broad connotation of justice, this Article questions whether many victims of legal malpractice are denied access to justice. In writing about the regulatory function of legal malpractice as a tort, Professor John Leubsdorf argues that legal malpractice relates to three important functions of the law of lawyering: “[D]elineating the duties of lawyers, creating appropriate incentives and disincentives for lawyers in their dealings with clients and others, and providing access to remedies for those injured by improper lawyer behavior.” Arguably, persons injured by lawyer misconduct are denied access to justice if our civil liability system does not provide them …

Takings, Torts, And Background Principles, Sandra B. Zellmer

Faculty Law Review Articles

No abstract provided.

Dignity Takings, Dignity Restoration: A Tort Law Perspective, Valerie P. Hans

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

Money damages can operate to restore the dignity of a person who has been injured in tort or deprived of property. A financial award or settlement conveys an acknowledgment of the wrong and signals the reestablishment of equity between defendant and plaintiff. Whether the award is seen as adequate to fully restore dignity is influenced by context, especially comparison cases. And financial compensation directly provided by the defendant holds greater promise for dignity restoration.

Class Actions In The Era Of Trump: Trends And Developments In Class Certification And Related Issues, John C. Coffee Jr., Alexandra D. Lahav

Faculty Scholarship

In this memorandum prepared for the Annual ABA National Institute on Class Actions, Professors Coffee and Lahav review and assess developments in class certification over recent years, and track trends in approaches to certification. Special attention is given to securities litigation, the use of confidential witnesses, ascertainability, attorney's fees, standing, mootness, statutes of repose, and the impact of recent Supreme Court decisions, including Halliburton II and Spokeo.

Employers' Duties Of Honesty And Accuracy, Helen Norton

Publications

This short essay is a contribution to the Labor Law Group's chapter-by-chapter critique and analysis of the American Law Institute's effort to restate the common law of employment through its 2015 Restatement of Employment Law. This essay focuses specifically on sections 6.05 and 6.06 of the Restatement, which address employers’ duties of honesty and accuracy in their communications to workers themselves as articulated by the torts of fraudulent and negligent misrepresentation.

Employers speak to workers about a wide range of job-related topics that include the terms and conditions of employment, business projections, and applicable workplace legal protections. Employers’ …

The Dark Side Of Social Media Romance: Civil Recourse For Catfish Victims, Armida Derzakarian

Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review

No abstract provided.

Governmental Tort Liability For Disclosure Of Flood Hazard Information (Legal Fact Sheet Ctsg-17-04), Audrey Elzerman

Sea Grant Law Fellow Publications

Local governments and governmental entities, their employees, and members of their boards and commissions may be subjected to lawsuits in connection with municipal activities.This fact sheet reviews claims that may arise against them under tort law for negligence related to coastal management actions.

Monopolies In Multidistrict Litigation, Elizabeth Chamblee Burch

Scholarly Works

When transferee judges receive a multidistrict proceeding, they select a few lead plaintiffs’ lawyers to efficiently manage litigation and settlement negotiations. That decision gives those attorneys total control over all consolidated plaintiffs’ claims and rewards them richly in common-benefit fees. It’s no surprise then that these are coveted positions, yet empirical evidence confirms that the same attorneys occupy them time and again.

Anytime repeat players exist and exercise both oligopolistic leadership control across multidistrict proceedings and monopolistic power within a single proceeding, there is concern that they will use their dominance to enshrine practices and norms that benefit themselves at …

Applying A Federal Standard Of Care In Aviation Product Liability Actions, Lauren Lacey Haertlein, Justin T. Barkowski

Journal of Air Law and Commerce

No abstract provided.

Taking A Second Look At Mdl Product Liability Settlements: Somebody Needs To Do It, Christopher B. Mueller

Publications

This Article examines the forces that lead to the settlement of product liability cases gathered under the MDL statute for pretrial. The MDL procedure is ill-suited to this use, and does not envision the gathering of the underlying cases as a means of finally resolving them. Motivational factors affecting judges and lawyers have produced these settlements, and the conditions out of which they arise do not give confidence that they are fair or adequate. This Article concedes that MDL settlements are likely here to stay, and argues that we need a mechanism to check such settlements for fairness and adequacy. …

Restating International Torts: Problems Of Process And Substance In The Ali's Third Restatement Of Torts, Nancy J. Moore

Faculty Scholarship

The American Law Institute’s Third Restatement of Torts was initially conceived as a series of separate projects, each with its own reporters. From 1998 through 2010, the ALI completed and published three different segments: Products Liability, Apportionment of Liability, and Liability for Physical and Emotional Harm. Initially, the ALI did not intend to restate the intentional torts, believing that the Second Restatement’s treatment of these torts was clear and largely authoritative. It was ultimately persuaded that there were numerous unresolved issues that needed to be addressed. As a result, it authorized a new project on Intentional Torts---a project that is …