Tort law worksheet with answers

Exemplary (punitive) damages in English tort law aim to:

1. APunish the defendant for outrageous conduct
2. BReturn any profit the claimant has lost
3. CReflect the claimant's injured feelings
4. DCompensate the claimant's financial loss

In general, a person who hires an independent contractor is:

1. AAlways vicariously liable for the contractor's torts
2. BLiable for all torts committed in the same year
3. CLiable only if the contractor has no insurance
4. DNot vicariously liable for the contractor's torts

Under section 1 of the Defamation Act 2013, a statement is not defamatory unless:

1. AThe defendant intended to harm the claimant or was reckless as to whether it would
2. BThe claimant has lost money because of it
3. CIt has caused or is likely to cause serious harm to the claimant's reputation
4. DIt was published in a newspaper or online

Two 15-year-old girls fence with plastic rulers and one is injured in the eye. Under Mullin v Richards, the defendant's conduct is judged by the standard of:

1. AThe defendant's own understanding
2. BA reasonable adult
3. CA reasonable teacher
4. DA reasonable 15-year-old

A learner driver on her third lesson crashes and injures her instructor. Under Nettleship v Weston, her driving is judged by the standard of:

1. AA professional racing driver
2. BA reasonably competent and experienced driver
3. CA reasonable learner at the same stage
4. DHer own best efforts as a beginner

Auditors negligently certify a company's accounts. An investor relies on them to buy more shares and suffers loss. In Caparo v Dickman, the auditors:

1. AOwed a duty to anyone relying on the accounts
2. BWere strictly liable for errors in the accounts
3. COwed a duty because the investor was a shareholder
4. DOwed no duty to the investor for this purpose

Under section 4 of the Defamation Act 2013, the public interest defence requires that:

1. AThe statement is shown to be substantially true
2. BThe statement was on a matter of public interest and the defendant reasonably believed publishing it was in the public interest
3. CThe statement was made in Parliament or in court
4. DThe statement was on a matter of public interest and the defendant honestly believed that every factual claim it contained was true

A man's leg is injured by a negligent driver. Later, robbers shoot the same leg and it is amputated. In Baker v Willoughby, the driver:

1. AWas liable only until the shooting
2. BWas liable for the amputation too
3. CRemained liable for the original disability after the shooting
4. DWas released completely from liability by the robbers' later shooting