英国法典:过失损害责任
-
穿过迷宫:英国侵权法中责任违反的认定
民事侵权法是法律体系的基础,为因他人疏忽行为遭受损害的人提供救济。但证明侵权并非总是容易的。一个关键障碍在于建立“责任违反”的概念——指某人未能达到预期的护理标准。
在英国, Donoghue v Stevenson(1932)案作为里程碑事件,为理解责任违反奠定了基础。蜗牛在姜啤酒案件确立了“邻居原则”,即您对任何可能因您的行为遭受预测性损害的人负有注意义务。
但是,“违反”这种义务实际上是什么意思呢?以下是详细分析:
1. 确定护理标准:
法律会考虑一个“合理人”在类似情况下会怎么做。这不是追求完美,而是像普通人预期的那样尽到谨慎和注意力。影响这一标准的因素包括:
- 活动性质: 外科医生与居家维修者相比承担更高的责任!
- 损害的可预测性: 损害越可能发生,护理义务就越高。
- 社会环境: 法律在制定标准时会考虑社会规范和期望。
2. 将行为与标准进行比较:
如果某人的行为低于这个合理标准,则可能被认为发生了责任违反。这可能包括:
- 不作为: 当存在法律义务采取行动时,未能采取行动(例如救生员未救起溺水者)。
- 作为: 行为不符合预期标准(例如驾驶鲁莽,提供疏忽的医疗建议)。
3. 专业人士的“Bolam测试”:
对于医生和律师等专业人员,适用的是略微不同的“Bolam测试”。它指出,如果其行为得到负责的专业意见支持,则不会被认为是过失的。然而,这并不意味着可以随意偏离公认标准。
4. 因果关系和损害:
请记住,建立责任违反仅仅是第一步。要成功提出侵权诉讼,您还需要证明:
- 因果关系: 责任违反直接导致您的伤害。
- 损害: 您因之遭受实际损失(经济、身体或情感)。
在民事侵权法的复杂性中进行导航可能很困难。如果您认为自己因为他人的疏忽行为而受到伤害,寻求法律建议至关重要。律师可以评估您的情况,解释您的权利,并指导您通过索赔补偿的程序。
走进现实:责任违反在生活中的体现
英国侵权法旨在为因他人疏忽行为遭受损害的人提供救济,但其核心概念——“责任违反”并非易于把握。让我们通过一些现实生活中常见的例子来深入理解这一概念:
1. 交通事故:
Imagine a driver running a red light, causing a collision with another car. In this scenario, the driver who ran the red light undoubtedly breached their duty of care to other road users. They failed to meet the expected standard of a "reasonable driver" by failing to obey traffic rules, directly leading to the accident and potential injuries.
2. 医疗事故:
Consider a surgeon mistakenly operating on the wrong limb during surgery. This is a clear breach of duty of care as the surgeon failed to meet the expected standard of skill and diligence required in their profession. The consequences can be devastating for the patient, resulting in unnecessary pain, prolonged recovery, and even permanent disability.
3. 疏忽的维修工作:
Imagine hiring a plumber to fix a leaking pipe, but they negligently use faulty materials, causing further damage to your property. This breach of duty occurs because the plumber failed to exercise the care and skill expected of a competent professional. You could now be facing additional expenses for repairs and potential loss of property value.
4. 产品缺陷:
A company manufactures a defective toy with sharp edges that causes a child to suffer an injury while playing. This constitutes a breach of duty because the manufacturer failed to ensure their product met safety standards, putting consumers at risk.
5. 房地产租赁责任:
Landlords have a responsibility to provide safe and habitable housing for tenants. If a landlord fails to address a known issue with faulty wiring, leading to an electrical shock, they would be in breach of their duty of care towards the tenant.
These examples illustrate how the concept of "responsibility violation" applies to various situations in our daily lives. It emphasizes that individuals and organizations have a legal obligation to act responsibly and reasonably to avoid causing harm to others.
Remember, establishing responsibility violation is often complex and requires careful consideration of the specific circumstances. If you believe you have suffered harm due to someone else's negligence, seeking legal advice is crucial to understand your rights and explore potential remedies.
加入华人微信群,请加我:ai11002244