Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 28

THE LETTER OF THE LAW

“... given that the defendants were in control of the premises and that they were aware of prior assaults, it is clear that failure to apprise students of those incidents, to trim the foliage, or to take protective measures closely connects the defendants’ conduct with plaintiff’s injury; these factors, if established, also indicate there is moral blame attached....”
(Peterson v. San Francisco Comm. College, 205 Cal. Rptr. 842 [1984])

or an institution to be found negligent, four elements must be demonstrated. First there must be a duty owed. Then one must breach that duty either by doing something or failing to do something. Third, the breach of duty must cause an injury, either physical or psychological. Finally, the breach must be the proximate cause of the injury. The law recognizes that “duty is not sacrosanct in itself, but only an expression of the sum total of those considerations of policy which lead the law to say that a particular plaintiff is entitled to protection” (Handbook of the Law of Torts, 4th ed., 1971). In determining negligence, courts will consider several

things in establishing whether or not a duty is owed. These include the foreseeability of harm, the degree of certainty of injury, the closeness of the connection between the conduct and the injury, the moral blame attached to the conduct, the policy of preventing future harm, and the burden and consequence of imposing the duty and the resulting liability for its breach. One case that illustrates these considerations involves a female student who was assaulted while traversing an outdoor staircase from the parking lot to a classroom building. She was attacked on the stair landing by a perpetrator who had hidden behind a large nearby bush. Several other attacks had previously taken place in the same manner. In its opinion, the court held that the college

had failed to provide protection from a reasonably foreseeable harm: “First, the allegations, if proved, suggest that harm to the plaintiff was already foreseeable in light of the alleged prior similar incidents in the same area; the defendants were on notice that any woman who might use the stairs or the parking lot would be a potential target. Secondly, it is undisputed that the plaintiff suffered injury. Third, given that the defendants were in control of the premises and that they were aware of prior assaults, it is clear that failure to apprise students of those incidents, to trim the foliage, or to take protective measures closely connects the defendants’ conduct with plaintiff’s injury; these factors, if established, also indicate there is moral blame attached. . . .” (Peterson v. San Francisco Comm. College, 205 Cal. Rptr. 842 [1984]). Many tort cases address a number of other commonly recognized duties such as providing proper

28

Talking STick



Talking Stick - November/December 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Talking Stick - November/December 2010

Talking Stick - November/December 2010
Contents
Online Now
Vision
Just In
Your ACUHO-I
Transitions
Business
Special Focus
Calendar
The Letter of the Law
Finding Your Way
Conversations
First Takes
Reporting Out
Welcome
Snapshot
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - Talking Stick - November/December 2010
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - Cover2
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 1
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 2
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - Contents
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - Online Now
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 5
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - Vision
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 7
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - Just In
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 9
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 10
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 11
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 12
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - Your ACUHO-I
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - Transitions
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 15
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - Business
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 17
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 18
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 19
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - Special Focus
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 21
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 22
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - Calendar
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - The Letter of the Law
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 25
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 26
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 27
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 28
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 29
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 30
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 31
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - Finding Your Way
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 33
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 34
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 35
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 36
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 37
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 38
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 39
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - Conversations
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 41
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - First Takes
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - Reporting Out
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 44
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 45
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 46
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 47
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 48
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 49
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - Welcome
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 51
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - Snapshot
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - Cover3
Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - Cover4
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