Template:Liability ladder: Difference between revisions
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===The ladder of liability=== | ===The ladder of liability=== | ||
Where the '''[[Inadvertence|inadvertent]]''' is blameless, neither knowing the risk she runs, nor being reasonably expected to be able to anticipate it; and the '''[[Negligence|negligent]]''' has some civil, civic responsibility for what befalls his [[neighbour]] on the premise that, since that odious hypothetical fellow plucked from the pews of the sacred [[Man on the Clapham Omnibus|Clapham omnibus]] would have seen it, so should he, even though in point of fact he did not; the '''[[reckless]]''' sees the risk, all right, and decides to plough on and take it, notwithstanding, that she might have no particular wish or expectation that a calumny should befall ''anyone'', least of all the [[plaintiff]]. | Where the '''[[Inadvertence|inadvertent]]''' is blameless, neither knowing the risk she runs, nor being reasonably expected to be able to anticipate it; and the '''[[Negligence|negligent]]''' has some civil, civic responsibility for what befalls his [[neighbour]] on the premise that, since that odious hypothetical fellow plucked from the pews of the sacred [[Man on the Clapham Omnibus|Clapham omnibus]] would have seen it, so should he, even though in point of fact he did not; the '''[[gross negligence|grossly negligent]]''' is a poor, confused, careless American; the '''[[reckless]]''' sees the risk, all right, and decides to plough on and take it, notwithstanding, that she might have no particular wish or expectation that a calumny should befall ''anyone'', least of all the [[plaintiff]]. | ||
The '''[[Intention|intender]]''', in contrast to all those above, does what he does as a matter of cold-blooded, contemptuous [[Calculated|calculation]].<ref>This use of the word “calculation” might upset some tort lawyers, for in legal terms to be “[[calculated]]” means expected to happen as a matter of probability, rather than mendacious design. Odd, really.</ref> | The '''[[Intention|intender]]''', in contrast to all those above, does what he does as a matter of cold-blooded, contemptuous [[Calculated|calculation]].<ref>This use of the word “calculation” might upset some tort lawyers, for in legal terms to be “[[calculated]]” means expected to happen as a matter of probability, rather than mendacious design. Odd, really.</ref> | ||
Revision as of 19:10, 27 October 2020
The ladder of liability
Where the inadvertent is blameless, neither knowing the risk she runs, nor being reasonably expected to be able to anticipate it; and the negligent has some civil, civic responsibility for what befalls his neighbour on the premise that, since that odious hypothetical fellow plucked from the pews of the sacred Clapham omnibus would have seen it, so should he, even though in point of fact he did not; the grossly negligent is a poor, confused, careless American; the reckless sees the risk, all right, and decides to plough on and take it, notwithstanding, that she might have no particular wish or expectation that a calumny should befall anyone, least of all the plaintiff.
The intender, in contrast to all those above, does what he does as a matter of cold-blooded, contemptuous calculation.[1]
In brief
- Inadvertence: To be unaware of a risk which one could not reasonably have been expected to be anticipate.
- Negligence: To be unaware of a risk which a reasonable person on one’s position ought to have anticipated.
- Gross negligence: A meaningless concept that excites US attorneys but irritates English ones.
- Reckless: To be aware of a risk, and to take it anyway, even though you don’t necessarily want the risk to come about.
- Intention: To be aware of a risk, and to run it with the intention that it comes about.
- ↑ This use of the word “calculation” might upset some tort lawyers, for in legal terms to be “calculated” means expected to happen as a matter of probability, rather than mendacious design. Odd, really.