LEGAL 226 - Tort and Personal Injury Law

5.0 Credits
An overview of the fundamentals of tort and personal injury law, including the theories of negligence, intentional torts, strict and products liability, defamation and invasion of privacy, fraud and misrepresentation, malpractice, and commonbusiness torts. This course also examines the various legal defenses in torts, the computation of damages, and the role that insuranceplays in personal injury cases.No prior legal training or experience is required to take this course.
Course-level Learning Objectives (CLOs)
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Describe the basic court system and the steps involved in a civil trial.
Identify the elements of a negligence action and the important features found in a negligence complaint.
Describe the legal consequences when a duty arises and how certain special relationships give rise to a higher standard of care, including the concept of premises liability.
Determine when a breach of duty has occurred and how a defendant’s actions (or failure to act) violate the standard of reasonableness under tort law.
Describe when a defendant’s actions (or omissions) are the proximate cause of a plaintiff’s injuries.
Explain the difference between contributory negligence and comparative negligence, and identify some of the exceptions to contributory negligence.
Explain the difference between strict liability and negligence actions, and which types of activities trigger strict liability theory.
Define the basic characteristics of a products liability lawsuit and the theories on which a products liability case can be based.
Describe the elements of defamation and explain how damages are assessed in libel and slander cases.
Distinguish between compensatory, punitive, and nominal damages, as well as between general and specific damages.
Explain the role and ethical obligations of a paralegal working in the area of tort and personal injury law.

Course Typically Offered
Spring