| Tort Action for Failure to Provide Facilities to the Public |
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| Under the common law, a person commits a tort when he or she fails to provide a public utility or a public facility to a member of the public. In order to be liable for this tort, the person must have a non-contractual duty to provide the public utility or the public facility to the public. A denial of the public utility or the public facility constitutes a breach of that duty. More... |
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| Defamation of a Public Figure |
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| A lawsuit for defamation has the following basic elements: (1) making a false statement; (2) about a person; (3) to others; and (4) actual damages (if the harm to the person is not apparent). There is a fifth element when the person is a public official or public figure. In such a case, the person who made the statement has to have made it with a known or reckless disregard of the truth. This article discusses the fifth element for defamation of a public official or public figure.More... |
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| Defamation of a Plaintiff |
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| A lawsuit for defamation has the following basic elements: (1) making a false statement (2) about a person (3) to others, and (4) actual damages (if the harm to the person is not apparent). There is a fifth element when the person is a public official or public figure. More... |
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| Tort Action for Causing a Minor Child to Leave Home |
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| Under the common law, a person who compels or induces a minor child to leave his or her home or to not return to his or her home is liable to the parent of the minor child for damages. The parent who is legally entitled to custody of the minor child is entitled to file an action against the person. More... |
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| Federal Volunteer Protection Act -- Additional Liability Issues |
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| The federal Volunteer Protection Act (VPA) grants civil immunity to a volunteer who harms a person while performing services for a nonprofit organization or governmental entity. However, the VPA does not grant immunity to the nonprofit organization or governmental entity. Therefore, the VPA does not prohibit the person who has been harmed by the volunteer from filing a lawsuit against the organization or entity. More... |
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