Newsletters

Punitive Damages

Apart from legislation granting a right to sue for a specific harm, personal injury law generally consists of tort law and the civil procedure for enforcing it. One of the purposes of tort law is to provide compensation for damages. This article discusses punitive damages.

Examples of Non-Defamatory Opinion

Defamation lawsuits are not easy to win because the plaintiff must both prove the difficult elements of his or her case and avoid the many defenses to defamation. This article discusses two examples of one of the standard defenses to defamation: opinion.

Tort Action for Sale of Habit-Forming Drug to a Minor Child

A person who unlawfully sells or supplies a habit-forming drug to a minor child may be liable to the child's parent for damages. The person is liable to the parent if the parent incurred a loss of the child's services or if the parent incurred medical expenses on behalf of the child as a result of the sale of the habit-forming drug.

The Federal Claims Collection Act

The Federal Claims Collection Act (FCCA) was enacted in 1982 in order to allow the federal government to recover compensation for damages to or for loss or destruction of government property. Under the FCCA, the government is entitled to recover compensation for damages that result from negligent or wrongful acts.

Family Car Doctrine

Under the family car doctrine (or family purpose doctrine), the owner of a car is liable for a plaintiff's personal injuries if the injuries were caused by one of the owner's family members while driving the car. The doctrine applies only to cases in which the car is owned for family purposes and the owner's family members had his or her express or implied permission to drive the car.