The doctrine of res ipsa loquitur would permit the court to infer negligence in which of the following situations?
A)A ladder rung broke under the weight of a worker's foot.
B)A sign over a storefront fell on your head.
C)A dead tree limb overhanging the sidewalk fell onto your head.
D)(a) and (b).
E)(b) and (c).

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Res ipsa loquitur allows the court to infer negligence when an accident would not typically occur in the absence of negligence, the defendant had exclusive control over the situation, and the plaintiff did not contribute to the accident. In options B and C, the accidents involve objects falling on the plaintiff, which would not occur without negligence by the defendant who had exclusive control over the objects. However, in option A, it is not clear if the ladder rung breaking was due to negligence or misuse by the worker, so it does not meet all the requirements for res ipsa loquitur.

The Doctrine of Res Ipsa Loquitur Would Permit the Court