Understanding Torts
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Understanding Torts
SIXTH EDITION
John L. Diamond
P ROFESSOR OF L AW
U NIVERSITY OF C ALIFORNIA H ASTINGS C OLLEGE OF THE l AW
Lawrence C. Levine
P ROFESSOR OF L AW
U NIVERSITY OF THE P ACIFIC M C G EORGE S CHOOL OF L AW
Anita Bernstein
A NITA AND S TUART S UBOTNICK P ROFESSOR OF L AW
B ROOKLYN L AW S CHOOL
Copyright 2018
Carolina Academic Press, LLC
All Rights Reserved
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Diamond, John L., author. | Levine, Lawrence C., author. | Bernstein,
Anita, author.
Title: Understanding torts / John Diamond, Lawrence C. Levine, and Anita
Bernstein.
Description: Sixth edition. | Durham, North Carolina : Carolina Academic
Press, LLC, [2018] | Series: The understanding series | Includes
bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018007272 | ISBN 9781531009755 (alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Torts--United States.
Classification: LCC KF1250 .D5 2018 | DDC 346.7303--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018007272
eISBN 978-1-53100-976-2
Carolina Academic Press, LLC
700 Kent Street
Durham, North Carolina 27701
Telephone (919) 489-7486
Fax (919) 493-5668
www.cap-press.com
Printed in the United States of America
JLD: With love to my wife, Lucia, my son, Danny, and my mother, Rhoda Diamond, and
in loving memory of my father, Monroe Thomas Diamond .
LCL: With love to my sister, Diane, and to my nephews, Ben and Alex, and with thanks
to my students for making each class a new adventure .
AB: In honor of Guido Calabresi, a Torts mentor to many, and with thanks to my Torts
students, from whom I learn every new year .
Contents
Preface
We are pleased to present the sixth edition of Understanding Torts . The response to the first five editions from students and professors has been gratifying. We hope and expect that you will find this updated version of the book equally helpful.
This book examines the common law of torts. A tort is a civil wrong beyond a breach of contract for which the law provides relief. The law of torts focuses on private rights of redress, where aggrieved parties bring actions in tort to recover damages for the harm caused by defendants. Contrast this to the criminal law where the State, through government-employed prosecutors, pursues the action and exacts the punishment.