Torts Commons^™

Teaching Torts: Rivalry As Pedagogy, Anita Bernstein

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Balancing Judicial Cognizance And Caution: Whether Transnational Corporations Are Liable For Foreign Bribery Under The Alien Tort Statute, Matt A. Vega

Michigan Journal of International Law

In the process of applying the ATS to foreign bribery, this Article will examine several unresolved issues surrounding this statutory grant. It will seek to (1) determine what constitutes a "violation of the law of nations," (2) refute the proposition that private defendants may be prosecuted under the ATS for only the most shocking and egregious jus cogens violations, (3) determine when and to what extent state action is required in ATS litigation, and (4) examine the limitations of the fundamental principles of international law on ATS litigation.

A Production Theory Of Pure Economic Loss, Robert J. Rhee

UF Law Faculty Publications

Although the pure economic loss rule has been remarkably durable in the common law, it suffers from a theoretical deficit. The rule has not been properly framed within the broader context of Anglo-American political economy. Any theory must recognize that the rule fundamentally deals with business risk and economic organization. Two conceptions of risk are important: risk to economic assets essential to the production function (loss of a factor of production), and risk to outcomes (loss of production). This Article proposes a production theory of the pure economic loss rule, which is rooted in the neoclassical economic understanding of the …

Take Two Of These And Sue Me In The Morning: Efficacy Of The Learned Intermediary Doctrine In Prescription Drug Failure To Warn Cases, Robert J. Friedman

St. Thomas Law Review

Under the Learned Intermediary Doctrine - elaborated below and representing the majority approach to manufacturer liability in prescription drug cases - Rex holds no recourse against the pharmaceutical manufacturer of Drug X. While logic would seem to impose a manufacturer duty to the ultimate user, for purposes of tort liability in prescription drug cases it is the physician, not the patient, deemed to be the consumer. Thus, so long as the manufacturer conveys sufficient warning of possible side effects to the prescribing physician Dr. Pharm alone, a learned intermediary, the pharmaceutical manufacturer is absolved from any liability to Rex - …

What Are The Policy Implications Of Use Of Epidemiological Evidence In Mass Torts And Public Health Litigation, Christopher Ogolla

St. Thomas Law Review

The distinctions between the standards of proof employed in epidemiology and in law inform the central thesis of this paper. This analysis began by describing the role of epidemiology in mass torts and public health litigation. It later argues that because mass torts cover such a wide area, there are several problems related to epidemiology in litigation, particularly scientific uncertainty and inconsistent factual claims. Part II discusses recent cases where epidemiological evidence was raised and debated, distinguishing between vaccine-related and non-vaccine-related cases. Courts have differentiated vaccine-related cases from non-vaccine-related cases, principally because Congress enacted a vaccine act designed to compensate …

Iqbal And Supervisory Immunity, Kit Kinports

Faculty Scholarship

Prior to the Supreme Court’s 2009 decision in Ashcroft v. Iqbal, the federal courts generally acknowledged that high-ranking government officials could be held liable for the constitutional injuries inflicted by their subordinates, though they differed on the appropriate standard of supervisory liability. In Iqbal, the Supreme Court called this case law into question, holding that constitutional tort liability hinges on proof that each defendant, “through the official’s own individual actions, has violated the Constitution.” The Court’s cursory treatment of this issue, without the benefit of briefing or oral argument, was based entirely on the misguided assumption that the doctrine of …

The Impact Of Wyeth V. Levine On Fda Regulation Of Prescription Drugs, Richard C. Ausness

Law Faculty Scholarly Articles

On March 4, 2009, the United States Supreme Court decided Wyeth v. Levine. In that case, the Court concluded that the plaintiff's failure to warn claim against the makers of the drug Phenergan was not impliedly preempted by the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA). In doing so, the Court rejected the argument of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that tort claims of this nature stand as an obstacle to federal regulatory objectives. This article evaluates the Court's opinion in Wyeth and examines that decision's impact on subsequent litigation in the area of prescription drug labeling. In …

Uncertainty And The Advantage Of Collective Settlement Symposium: The Limits Of Predictability And The Value Of Uncertainty: Sixteenth Annual Clifford Symposium On Tort Law And Social Policy, Howard M. Erichson

Faculty Scholarship

Judgments are printed in black and white; reality comes in shades of gray. The settlement palette available to negotiating parties, unlike the adjudication palette available to judges and juries, offers a range of grays to suit the realities of uncertain liability, uncertain causation, and uncertain damages. Settlement thus offers certain advantages over adjudication. I am not referring to process advantages, such as speed, economy, privacy, and relationship preservation. Rather, I am referring to the idea that settlements may offer outcomes that more accurately comport with justice under the relevant facts and law. There is, of course, a long-running debate over …

Integrity And The Incongruities Of Justice: A Review Of Daniel Markovits, A Modern Legal Ethics, Benjamin C. Zipursky

Faculty Scholarship

Daniel Markovits’ recent book, A Modern Legal Ethics: Adversary Advocacy in a Democratic Age, begins by articulating an ethical quandary common to litigators: how can I advocate zealously for a client whose story might not be true and whose causes might not be just? In Markovits’ hands, the dilemmas of the adversary advocate are transformed into a philosophical puzzle about the nature of integrity and the very idea of fidelity to a client. Lawyers face a far more onerous ethical burden than is sometimes recognized, Markovits argues, for the adversary advocate in our legal system is professionally obligated to lie …

Knock It Off: An Analysis Of Trademark Counterfeit Goods Regulation In The United States, France, And Belgium, Kate Goldwasser

Cardozo Journal of International and Comparative Law

The note examines the legal standards for online platforms' liability regarding the sale of counterfeit goods in the US, France, and Belgium. It highlights the discrepancies in how each country applies contributory liability to platforms like eBay and advocates for consistent international regulations to address the growing issue of online counterfeit sales.

The Curious Case Of Directors' And Officers' Liability For Supervision And Management: Exploring The Intersection Of Corporate And Tort Law, Martin Petrin

American University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Wyeth V. Levine: What Does It Mean And Where Do Pharmaceutical Companies Go From Here, Clay Landa

Law Student Publications

Part II of this paper analyzes the history and background of federal preemption to give context to the current environment after Wyeth. Part III analyzes the Supreme Court‘s decision in Wyeth, holding that the FDCA and corresponding regulations do not preempt state tort claims. Finally, Part IV discusses and analyzes what drug makers may do now to continue to produce and market pharmaceuticals profitably while limiting their liability for state tort claims.

Making European Tort Law: The Game And Its Players, Marta Infantino

Cardozo Journal of International and Comparative Law

In the last several decades, building a common European tort law has become a primary goal for many European institutions and research groups. On the one hand, EU institutions frequently highlight the need to simplify the current diversity in European tort law, and try to achieve this goal by injecting-so far quite incoherent-pieces of legislation into the European legal framework. On the other hand, many research groups aim to enhance the Europanization process through means that are much differentiated one to the other. Some of these groups (e.g., the European Group on Tort Law and the Study Group on a …

When Is Religious Speech Outrageous?: Snyder V. Phelps And The Limits Of Religious Advocacy, Jeffrey Shulman

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

The Constitution affords great protection to religiously motivated speech. Religious liberty would mean little if it did not mean the right to profess and practice as well as to believe. But are there limits beyond which religious speech loses its constitutional shield? Would it violate the First Amendment to subject a religious entity to tort liability if its religious profession causes emotional distress? When is religious speech outrageous?

These are vexing questions, to say the least; but the United States Supreme Court will take them up next term—and it will do so in a factual context that has generated as …

What's All The Headache: Reform Needed To Cope With The Effects Of Concussions In Football, Erika A. Diehl

Journal of Law and Health

In order to effectively manage this public health concern, it is imperative to gain an understanding of the issues surrounding head injuries in sporting events. This Note will discuss the increasing frequency and dangers of concussions in amateur and professional football. It will suggest that athletes, schools, coaches, and doctors must become more educated on the causes and dangers of concussions in order to ensure the safety of participants. In order to do so, this Note introduces a medical overview of concussions, while briefly outlining the diagnosis, long-term effects, and management of concussions. Part III discusses the legal theories athletes …

Nfl: National Football League Or No Free Logos?, Kathryn Kokoczka

Public Interest Law Reporter

No abstract provided.

United States Ex Rel. Drc, Inc. V. Custer Battles, Llc: A Brutal Battle Foreshadowing The Future Of False Claims Act Litigation, Kathleen H. Harne

Maryland Law Review Online

No abstract provided.

The Conflict Between The Alien Tort Statute Litigation And Foreign Amnesty Laws, Carlee M. Hobbs

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Since the landmark case Filartiga v. Pena-Irala, foreign individuals have increasingly utilized the Alien Tort Statute to raise claims of human rights violations in the United States federal courts. Defendants, however, have alleged that principles of international comity necessitate dismissal of the suit when the foreign country in which the human rights violations occurred has granted defendants amnesty. While the doctrine of international comity permits dismissal if the case requires a federal court to adjudicate the internal affairs of a foreign country, the Supreme Court held, in Sosa v. Alvarez-Machain, that the Alien Tort Statue grants U.S. courts jurisdiction over …

Pampasan Kepada Mangsa Rogol Di Malaysia Menurut Perspektif Syariah., Rozilawati Mat Yacob

Student Works (2010-2019)

The statistic of rape cases in Malaysia is obviously increasing since the year 2000-2006. This phenomenon is becoming more serious over these years particularly with increasing incidents of rape and murder cases. The rape tragedy definitely left the victim with many effects. It is timely to make a research about rape as a brutal crime and also the compensation for victims in Malaysia. The main objective of this research is to suggest a rape compensation system to be practiced in Malaysia, by looking at the principles laid down by Islam as well as by looking to the practices in Western …

Torts As Wrongs, John C.P. Goldberg, Benjamin C. Zipursky

Faculty Scholarship

Torts scholars hold different views on why tort law shifts costs from plaintiffs to defendants. Some invoke notions of justice, some efficiency, and some compensation. Nearly all seem to agree, however, that tort law is about the allocation of losses. This Article challenges the widespread embrace of loss-based accounts as fundamentally misguided. It is wrongs not losses that lie at the foundation of tort law. Tort suits are about affording plaintiffs an avenue of civil recourse against those who have wronged them. Although torts were once routinely understood as wrongs, since Holmes’s time, tort scholars have tended to suppose that …