The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), codified in 42 U.S.C. Chapter 103, is a large piece of legislation that gives the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the ability to intervene in...
tort law
(Wex page)
In civil cases, damages are the remedy that a party requests the court award in order to try to make the injured party whole. Typically damage awards are in the form of monetary compensation to the harmed party. Damages are imposed if the...
(Wex page)
Defamation is a statement that injures a third party's reputation. The tort of defamation includes both libel (written statements) and slander (spoken statements). State common law and statutory law governs defamation actions, and each state...
(Wex page)
Detinue is an action to recover the wrongful detention of goods or possessions.
[Last updated in August of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team]
(LIIBULLETIN preview)
Barbara Dolan ("Dolan") was injured when she tripped over a stack of mail that a United States Postal Service ("USPS") employee had left in front of her house. Brief for the Respondents at 2. After filing an administrative claim with the...
(Wex page)
Economic torts, also known as business torts, refer to a bundle of torts that come up from business transactions and are probable to result in pure economic loss. They include fraud, negligent misrepresentation, interference with contractual...
(Wex page)
The eggshell skull rule, also known as the thin skull rule, is a common law doctrine that makes a defendant liable for the plaintiff's unforeseeable and uncommon reactions to the defendant's negligent or intentional tort. If the defendant...
(Wex page)
Overview
A person commits false imprisonment when they engage in the act of restraint on another person which confines that person in a restricted area. False imprisonment is an act punishable under criminal law as well as under tort law....
(Wex page)
False light is one of several torts under the category of invasion of privacy where a defendant is accused of spreading falsehoods about a plaintiff that would be considered objectionable by the average person. The tort typically requires...
(Wex page)
The informed consent doctrine is a legal principle that holds healthcare providers accountable for ensuring that their patients are fully informed about any medical procedures or treatments before they agree to them. The idea behind this...