Question

Which of the following actions would result in a successful tort action by the person or persons wronged? Assume that all the persons involved learn these facts.

A) Jed accidentally dropped a board and broke Al's glasses. Al threw a cup at Jed, but Jed saw it coming and moved away in time to avoid being hit.

B) Mary unintentionally stepped on Tom's foot, causing him to stumble. Tom, in response, pushed Mary, but she quickly regained her balance and was not injured.

C) Alex bumped into Jordan, causing Jordan to spill coffee on their laptop. In frustration, Jordan threw a pen at Alex, who dodged it, and the pen missed.

D) Sarah accidentally knocked over Mike's bicycle, resulting in a minor scratch. Mike, upset, attempted to throw his water bottle at Sarah, but she swiftly ducked, avoiding any harm.

Answer 1

Scenario C, where Alex bumps into Jordan causing spillage of coffee on Jordan's laptop, is the most likely to result in a successful tort action due to the property damage incurred. The other scenarios do not exhibit successful tort elements, as there is no injury or damage as a result of the responses.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question involves determining which of the given actions could result in a successful tort action by the person wronged. In the scenarios provided, consider the legal principle that in order to have a successful tort action, there must be an act by the defendant, a duty of care breached by the act, causation, and damages as a result of the act.

• In scenario A, Jed accidentally dropped a board which broke Al's glasses, and Al threw a cup at Jed in frustration. While Al may have a claim for the broken glasses, Jed avoided injury from the thrown cup.
• Scenario B sees Mary accidentally stepping on Tom's foot. Tom responds by pushing Mary, yet there are no injuries.
• In scenario C, Alex bumps into Jordan, spilling coffee on Jordan's laptop, which could lead to property damage, while the thrown pen does not hit Alex.
• Finally, scenario D involves Sarah knocking over Mike's bicycle, causing a minor scratch, and Mike's attempted assault with a water bottle, which Sarah avoids.

Out of the scenarios listed, scenario C seems most likely to result in a successful tort action, as there is clear damage to property (Jordan's laptop) due to Alex's action. The other scenarios, while involving negligent or potentially deliberate acts, do not result in actual injury or damage (especially considering the actions by Al, Tom, and Mike might be seen as attempted battery but did not result in contact).