Tort law worksheet with answers

Compensatory damages in tort generally aim to:

1. APut the claimant in the position they would have been in if a promise had been kept
2. BPut the claimant in the position they would have been in without the tort
3. CPunish the defendant for the wrongdoing
4. DDivide the loss equally between the parties

When two tortfeasors cause the same indivisible damage, the claimant can usually:

1. ASue only if both are joined in one claim
2. BSue only the one who acted first
3. CRecover only half from each of them
4. DRecover the full damages from either of them

For a defamation claim, the statement must be defamatory, refer to the claimant, and be:

1. APublished to at least one third party
2. BPublished in print or on television
3. CRepeated by at least two people
4. DRead by the claimant personally

A house is built on defective foundations, approved by the local authority. Cracks appear and the owner sells at a loss. In Murphy v Brentwood DC, the loss was:

1. APhysical damage, fully recoverable
2. BRecoverable only against the buyer
3. CPure economic loss, not recoverable in negligence
4. DRecoverable because the council approved the plans

Police officers who helped at the Hillsborough disaster suffered psychiatric injury. In White v Chief Constable of South Yorkshire, their claims:

1. ASucceeded, because rescuers are always treated as primary victims in English law
2. BSucceeded, because they were employees of the defendant
3. CFailed, because they were not in physical danger and were not primary victims
4. DFailed, because the police can never sue their employer

Two chimney sweeps die from fumes while sealing a chimney, despite warnings about the danger. In Roles v Nathan, the occupier was:

1. ANot liable, because specialists can be expected to guard against risks of their trade
2. BLiable, because the warnings were given orally
3. CLiable, because occupiers must make premises completely safe for every visitor, including specialists
4. DNot liable, because the sweeps were trespassers

For a public authority, a negligence claim about how it exercised a statutory power often fails because:

1. ACourts are reluctant to impose duties for failing to confer benefits or for policy decisions
2. BStatutory powers automatically create a private law duty to use them carefully for each citizen
3. CThe authority must be sued in a criminal court
4. DAuthorities are always immune from all claims

A woman's 999 call is wrongly graded, and the police arrive too late to stop her former partner killing her. In Michael v Chief Constable of South Wales Police, the Supreme Court held:

1. AThe police were strictly liable for the delay
2. BThe police owed a duty because they took the call
3. CThe call handler alone was personally liable
4. DThe police owed no duty in negligence to protect her