introduction to law of tort

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1、CHICAGOLAW&ECONOMICSWORKINGPAPERNo.2(2DSERIES)THEPATHTOTHET.J.HOOPER:THETHEORYANDHISTORYOFCUSTOMINTHELAWOFTORTSRichardA.EpsteinTHELAWSCHOOLTHEUNIVERSITYOFCHICAGOTHEPATHTOTHET.J.HOOPER:THETHEORYANDHISTORYOFCUSTOMINTHELAWOFTORTRichardA.Epstein*I.INTRODUCTIONDeterminingtheproperstandardof

2、liabilityforpersonalinjuriesandpropertydamagesisoneofthecentralmissionsofthelawoftort.Thelawaddressesthatissueattwoseparatelevels.First,withinthedomainofaccidentalinjuriescausedbythedefendant,thereistheperennialquestionofwhethertheapplicablestandardofliabilityshouldbecastintermsofnegli

3、genceorstrictliability.Isadefendantresponsibleonlywherehehasfailedtoactwithreason-ablecareunderthecircumstances,orisheresponsibleforharmsevenwheretherehasbeennofailuretoobservetheappropriatestandardofcare?Thesecondquestionisinasensesubordinatetothefirstbutnonethelesscloselyentwinedwith

4、it:Whereanegli-gencestandardisapplicable,howshouldnegligencebedetermined?Twodistinctapproachesarepossibleonthislastquestion.Ontheonehand,itisoftensaidthatthetestofnegligenceiswhetherthedefendanttookallcost-justifiedprecautionsagainsttheoccur-renceoftheharm.Theeconomiccalculationsinvolv

5、edrequireajurytomakeatleastsomeimpressionisticassessmentsofthelikelihoodthatthedefendant’sconductwillresultinharm,theexpectedsever-ityofthatharm,andthecostofavoidingtheoccurrence.Thealter-nativemethodreliesoncustom-notsomuchthecustomoftheindividualorthefirm,butthatofthetradeorindustryo

6、fwhichthe*JamesParkerHallDistinguishedServiceProfessorofLaw,UniversityofChicago.IamhappytothanktheManhattanInstituteforitssupportofthisproject.StephenGilles,WilliamLandes,RichardA.Posner,andWalterOl-sonprovidedusefulcommentsonearlierdraftsofthearticle.ForthcominginJournalofLegalStudies

7、,vol.XXI(January1992).01991byTheUniversityofChicago.Allrightsreserved.2WORKINGPAPERINLAW8tECONOMICSdefendantisapart.Heretherelevantquestionisthis:Wherethedefendanthascompliedwithanindustrycustom,isthatanabsolutedefenseagainstachargeofnegligence,andthereforeafindingofli-ability,orisit