Pharmacists' Duty to Warn

A patient who has an adverse reaction to a prescription drug may file a personal injury action against the pharmacy that sold the drug, claiming that the pharmacy negligently failed to warn the patient of the risks associated with taking the drug. The outcome of such a case will depend on whether the pharmacy had a duty to warn the patient.

Liability of Owners of Baseball Stadiums

Injuries at baseball stadiums occur to both spectators and participants. They may be able to recover for their injuries in certain circumstances based on the negligence of the owner of the stadium. However, the owner may successfully defend against a lawsuit in certain circumstances.

The Eggshell Skull Rule

Suppose that a mugger approaches a jogger on a street, hoping to steal the jogger's wallet. In order to disable the jogger, the mugger strikes him on the head. Unbeknownst to the mugger, the jogger suffers from a rare medical condition that has made his skull as thin and fragile as an eggshell. Therefore, the mugger's assault kills the jogger. Under the "Eggshell Skull Rule," the mugger is liable for the death of the jogger, even though the jogger's death was unintended and unexpected.

Contribution and Indemnity

When a plaintiff is injured by two or more defendants' tortious acts that join to cause the injury, each defendant is "jointly and severally liable" for that injury. This means that the plaintiff may recover the entire amount of damages from any of the defendants. The defendants, in turn, may seek contribution or indemnity from each other.

Federal Tort Claims Act -- Scope of Employment

The Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) applies to claims for personal injury caused by the negligence of a federal government employee who is acting within the scope of his or her employment, under circumstances where a private person would be liable under state law. Therefore, in order for the FTCA to apply, the employee's negligence must occur within the scope of his or her employment. Generally, a federal government employee is acting within the scope of his or her employment if the employee is engaged in an authorized activity that serves a governmental purpose.