| Intoxication As a Defense to Negligence |
| Intoxication is not a defense to negligence. A person who is intoxicated when he commits a negligent act will be held to the same standard as a person who is not intoxicated. The actions of an intoxicated person will not be judged by the standard of a reasonably prudent intoxicated person.More... |
| Trade Libel |
| If a defendant publishes false statements that injure or disparage a plaintiff's business, he may be liable for trade libel. Trade libel is different from libel because trade libel only applies to a plaintiff's property, whereas libel applies to a plaintiff's reputation. More... |
| Defense of Others |
| In an action against a defendant for an intentional tort, such as battery, the defendant may defend the action by claiming that he or she acted in self-defense. Similarly, under some circumstances, a defendant may claim defense of others as a defense. Defense of others is a proper defense when the person the defendant was trying to defend would have been justified in using force to defend himself or herself. More... |
| Governmental Immunity from Suit |
| If a party is injured by some act of a governmental unit, official, or agency, he may or may not be permitted to sue. The reason that he may be barred from suing is because of "sovereign immunity." Traditionally, this doctrine protected governmental units, officials, and agencies from liability based on their tortious acts unless they had consented to being sued. Now, this immunity has been waived in large part and only applies in certain circumstances.More... |
| Tax Consequences of a Settlement in a Tort Action |
| When a plaintiff and a defendant enter into a settlement of the plaintiff's tort action, the tax consequences of the settlement will depend upon whether the damages are allocated in the settlement agreement. More... |

