| TORT LIABILITY OF MUNCIPALITIES |
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| When a municipality is acting within its governmental capacity or is performing a governmental function, such as providing water or utility services, it is generally not liable for negligence with regard to the governmental function. However, if the municipality is acting in a proprietary manner, that is, when it owns or maintains real or personal property, the municipality may be liable for the negligence of its representatives, agents, and employees. More... |
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| Interference With a Contract |
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| When parties come together to form a contract, a third party may interfere with the performance of that contract or induce one party to breach it. In such a case, the injured party may bring an action against the third party for interfering with his economic relations with the other contracting party or parties. More... |
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| Tort Law--Criminal Law Versus Civil Law |
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| 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. Law is sometimes divided into civil law and criminal law. This article discusses the distinction between civil law and criminal law as it relates to tort law and personal injury. More... |
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| Federal Tort Claims Act -- Scope of Employment |
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| The Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) applies to claims for personal injury caused by the negligence of a federal government employee who is acting within the scope of his or her employment, under circumstances where a private person would be liable under state law. Therefore, in order for the FTCA to apply, the employee's negligence must occur within the scope of his or her employment. Generally, a federal government employee is acting within the scope of his or her employment if the employee is engaged in an authorized activity that serves a governmental purpose. More... |
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| Unusual Defenses to Defamation |
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| 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 unusual "defenses" to defamation, the insubstantial but practical defense of I-dare-you-to-sue, and the real but rare defense of consent. More... |
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