- Define tort law
- Understand negligence
- Understand strict liability
- Explain the three types of product liability cases
- Understand compensation for damages
Legal Analysis
In applying law to a particular situation, it’s helpful to do the analysis step-by-step using the IRAC framework. IRAC stands for issue, rule, analysis, and conclusion. First try this is a simple context.
Is It Pizza?
Suppose your town wants to cut taxes for restaurants that serve pizza. You would first need to define exactly what are the essential features that make a pizza. Think for a moment and come up with a list.
Then, choose and watch one of the videos in this playlist about unconventional pizzas. Now lets use the IRAC framework to do the analysis
- Issue – The issue here is whether the food in the video that you just watched is pizza.
- Rule – Consider the list that you made.
- Analysis – Compare all the ingredients and features of the food shown in the video with the list of essential features that you made.
- Conclusion – If the food in the video satisfied all your requirements, then it’s pizza. If it lacked one or more features on your list, it’s not pizza.
Tort Law
You can view the transcript for “How Hot Coffee Landed McDonald’s in Hot Water | Retro Report” here (opens in a new window).
This lawsuit received a lot of attention from the media. Recall that to prove negligence, the plaintiff (Stella Liebeck in this case) has to prove:
- Duty of care
- Breach of the duty of care
- Actual causation
- Proximate causation
- Damages
Based on the video, how was Liebeck was able to prove each requirement of negligence?