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Tort Law--Procedural Law

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. This article discusses the civil procedure for enforcing tort law.

Mitigation of Damages

Mitigation of damages is sometimes referred to as the doctrine of avoidable consequences. The doctrine requires a plaintiff who is injured by a defendant to take steps to minimize his damages. It applies after the defendant commits the tort but at a time when the plaintiff still has an opportunity to avoid at least part of the consequences.

The Tort Definition Debate

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. Although tort law is a major kind of law, among many legal scholars there is no generally agreed definition of the word "tort." This article discusses the tort definition debate.

Governmental Immunity from Suit

If a party is injured by some act of a governmental unit, official, or agency, he may or may not be permitted to sue. The reason that he may be barred from suing is because of "sovereign immunity." Traditionally, this doctrine protected governmental units, officials, and agencies from liability based on their tortious acts unless they had consented to being sued. Now, this immunity has been waived in large part and only applies in certain circumstances.

Alternative Causes of an Injury

Ordinarily, a plaintiff in a personal injury action has the burden of proving that a defendant's negligence caused his or her injury. However, when a plaintiff proves that two defendants have committed negligent acts, and it is impossible to determine which act caused the plaintiff's injury, the burden of proof shifts to the defendants. Each defendant has the burden of proving that his or her negligent act did not cause the plaintiff's injury.