Intro to American Jurisprudence
March 27 2018
Textbook Chapters 20 & 21- Vocab
Negligence & Strict Liability
Duty: defendant owes a duty of care to the plaintiff
Breach: the defendant’s conduct violated that duty
Cause in fact: one of the elements a plaintiff must prove in order to establish causation in a
negligence suit. It means that if the harm would not have occurred without the wrongful act, the
act is the cause in fact.
Proximate cause: a reasonable belief, known personally or through reliable sources that a specific
person has committed a crime.
Damages: the plaintiff suffered actual injuries or losses
Contributory negligence: a legal defense in which it is determined that the plaintiff and defendant
share the fault for a negligence tort. Of proven the plaintiff cannot recover damages.
