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Tort Law And Alternatives: Cases And Materials, Eight Edition
Tort law remains a dynamic field, subject to constant refinement and rethinking. The new Eighth Edition reflects these evolving developments in recent case law and legislative activity, as well as commentary ranging from the ongoing Third Restatement of Torts (Physical Harm) project to the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. The principal focus of this book is the law of negligence, strict liability, and no-fault as alternative approaches to compensating the victims of accidental harm and creating optimal incentives to safety. This leading casebook covers all major aspects of tort law with expertly edited cases, and original text. It also includes detailed discussions of liability, causation, defamation, privacy, damages, insurance, and tort alternatives
1298 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 1992
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
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December 14, 2024I’m counting this
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January 3, 2025sorry but i’m counting this
December 31, 2021
excruciating, 0/10 recommend reading the notes cases
September 4, 2008
enthralling quick-read.
November 20, 2023
Hello tortfeasors. There’s only one thing you need to know… DBCD… Deliver By Christmas Day… Duty, Breach, Causation, Damages. It’s hard to forget the case of Hammontree v. Jenner (literally the first one). And of course Palsgraf is a classic torts case. My very first cold call of law school was Trimarco v. Klein!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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November 16, 2024Too many squibs and not enough train station fireworks.
November 21, 2025
This counts.
November 20, 2023
The plot was difficult to follow and there were too many characters. I loved the part with the fireworks at the train station.
November 15, 2010
There is duty and then there's DUTY. This book breaks down that subtle distinction in a way that's both clear and mind-bogglingly contextualized. The answer, according to this book, is that things must be placed in a matrix of reasonable expectations, legislative enforcement schema, the interest of injured individuals in obtaining compensation, and our society's goal of creating a predictable tort system. Add in a dash of causal uncertainty, gloss over the problem of proximate cause (for which heuristics provide a great soundbite and fail to adequately apply law to facts), and you've got yourself a system of monetary remuneration.
Rabin is an excellent professor and adds a lot to the reading (it looks like GoodReads thinks this book is only written by Franklin, but he's actually a coauthor along with Rabin and Green). Although he doesn't explicitly say it, you can rest assured that if you mess up your duty to exercise reasonable care because you were confused by the competing tensions currently at play in tort law, at least you won't be barred from recovery by classic contributory negligence doctrine.
Rabin is an excellent professor and adds a lot to the reading (it looks like GoodReads thinks this book is only written by Franklin, but he's actually a coauthor along with Rabin and Green). Although he doesn't explicitly say it, you can rest assured that if you mess up your duty to exercise reasonable care because you were confused by the competing tensions currently at play in tort law, at least you won't be barred from recovery by classic contributory negligence doctrine.
April 29, 2023
1. Hammontree v. Jenner, California (1971)
2. Christensen v. Swenson, Utah (1994)
3. Roessler v. Novak, Florida (2003)
4. Brown v. Kendall, Massachusetts (1850)
5. Adams v. Bullock, New York (1919)
6. United States v. Carroll Towing Co., 2d Cir. (1947)
7. Bethel v. New York City Transit Authority, New York (1998)
8. Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Co. v. Goodman, 275 US. 66 (1927)
9. Pokora v. Washington Railway Co., 282 US 98 (1934)
10. Andrews v. United Airlines, Inc., 9th Cir. (1994)
11. Trimarco v. Klein, New York (1982)
12. Martin v. Herzog, New York (1920)
13. Tedla v. Ellman, New York (1939)
14. Negri v. Stop & Shop, Inc., New York (1985)
15. Gordon v. American Museum of Natural History, New York (1986)
16. Byrne v. Boadle, England (1863)
17. McDougald v. Perry, Florida (1998)
18. Ybarra v. Spangard, California (1944)
19. Sheeley v. Memorial Hospital, Rhode Island (1998)
20. Matthies v. Mastromonaco, New Jersey (1999)
21. Harper v. Herman, Minnesota (1993)
22. Farwell v. Keaton, Michigan (1976)
23. Randi W. v. Muroc J.U.S.D., California (1997)
24. Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California, California (1976)
25. Strauss v. Belle Realty Co., New York (1985)
26. Reynolds v. Hicks, Washington (1998)
27. Vince v. Wilson, Vermont (1989)
28. Carter v. Kinney, Missouri (1995)
29. Posecai v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Louisiana (1999)
30. Behrendt v. Gulf Underwriters Insurance Co., Wisconsin (2009)
31. Broadbent v. Broadbent, Arizona (1995)
32. Riss v. City of New York, New York (1968)
33. Cope v. Scott, D.C. Cir. (1995)
34. Falzone v. Bush, New Jersey (1965)
35. Metro-North Commuter R.R. Co. v. Buckley, 521 US 424 (1997)
36. Gammon v. Osteopathic Hospital of Maine, Inc., Maine (1987)
37. Johnson v. Jamaica Hospital, New York (1984)
38. Portee v. Jaffee, New Jersey (1980)
39. Nycal Corporation v. KPMG Peat Marwick LLP, Massachusetts (1998)
40. Emerson v. Magendantz, Rhode Island (1997)
41. Stubbs v. City of Rochester, New York (1919)
42. Zuchowicz v. United States, 2d Cir. (1998)
43. Matsuyama v. Birnbaum, Massachusetts (2008)
44. Summers v. Tice, California (1948)
45. Hymowitz v. Eli Lilly & Co., New York (1989)
46. Benn v. Thomas, Iowa (1994)
47. In re an Arbitration Between Polemis & Another & Furness, Withy & Co., Ltd., England (1921)
48. Overseas Tankship Ltd. v. Mort’s Dock & Engineering Co., Ltd., England (1961)
49. Torres v. El Paso Electric Co., New Mexico (1999)
50. Palsgraf v. Long Island Railroad Co., New York (1928)
51. Davies v. Mann, England (1842)
52. Fritts v. McKinne, Oklahoma (1996)
53. Hanks v. Powder Ridge Restaurant Corp., Connecticut (2005)
54. Murphy v. Steeplechase Amusement Co., New York (1929)
55. Davenport v. Cotton Hope Plantation Horizontal Property Regime, South Carolina (1998)
56. Riegel v. Medtronic, Inc., 552 US 312 (2008)
57. Fletcher v. Rylands, England (1866)
58. Rylands v. Fletcher, England (1868)
59. Sullivan v. Dunham, New York (1900)
60. Indiana Harbor Belt R.R. Co. v. American Cyanamid Co., 7th Cir. (1990)
61. MacPherson v. Buick Motor Co., New York (1916)
62. Escola v. Coca Cola Bottling Co. of Fresno, California (1944)
63. Soule v. General Motors Corporation, California (1994)
64. Camacho v. Honda Motor Co., Colorado (1987)
65. Hood v. Ryobi America Corp., 4th Cir. (1999)
66. Centocor v. Hamilton, Texas (2012)
67. General Motors Corporation v. Sanchez, Texas (1999)
68. Jones v. Ryobi, Ltd., 8th Cir. (1994)
69. Liriano v. Hobart Corp., New York (1998)
70. Royer v. Catholic Medical Center, New Hampshire (1999)
71. East River Steamship Corp. v. Transamerica Delaval Inc., 476 US 858 (1986)
72. Garratt v. Dailey, Washington (1955)
73. Picard v. Barry Pontiac-Buick, Inc., Rhode Island (1995)
74. Wishnatsky v. Huey, North Dakota (1998)
75. Lopez v. Winchell’s Donut House, Illinois (1984)
76. Womack v. Eldridge, Virginia (1974)
77. Hustler Magazine v. Falwell, 485 US 46 (1988)
78. Martin v. Reynolds Metals Co., Oregon (1959)
79. Thyroff v. Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co., New York (2007)
80. Hart v. Geysel, Washington (1930)
81. Courvoisier v. Raymond, Colorado (1896)
82. Katko v. Briney, Iowa (1971)
83. Vincent v. Lake Erie Transportation Co., Minnesota (1910)
2. Christensen v. Swenson, Utah (1994)
3. Roessler v. Novak, Florida (2003)
4. Brown v. Kendall, Massachusetts (1850)
5. Adams v. Bullock, New York (1919)
6. United States v. Carroll Towing Co., 2d Cir. (1947)
7. Bethel v. New York City Transit Authority, New York (1998)
8. Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Co. v. Goodman, 275 US. 66 (1927)
9. Pokora v. Washington Railway Co., 282 US 98 (1934)
10. Andrews v. United Airlines, Inc., 9th Cir. (1994)
11. Trimarco v. Klein, New York (1982)
12. Martin v. Herzog, New York (1920)
13. Tedla v. Ellman, New York (1939)
14. Negri v. Stop & Shop, Inc., New York (1985)
15. Gordon v. American Museum of Natural History, New York (1986)
16. Byrne v. Boadle, England (1863)
17. McDougald v. Perry, Florida (1998)
18. Ybarra v. Spangard, California (1944)
19. Sheeley v. Memorial Hospital, Rhode Island (1998)
20. Matthies v. Mastromonaco, New Jersey (1999)
21. Harper v. Herman, Minnesota (1993)
22. Farwell v. Keaton, Michigan (1976)
23. Randi W. v. Muroc J.U.S.D., California (1997)
24. Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California, California (1976)
25. Strauss v. Belle Realty Co., New York (1985)
26. Reynolds v. Hicks, Washington (1998)
27. Vince v. Wilson, Vermont (1989)
28. Carter v. Kinney, Missouri (1995)
29. Posecai v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Louisiana (1999)
30. Behrendt v. Gulf Underwriters Insurance Co., Wisconsin (2009)
31. Broadbent v. Broadbent, Arizona (1995)
32. Riss v. City of New York, New York (1968)
33. Cope v. Scott, D.C. Cir. (1995)
34. Falzone v. Bush, New Jersey (1965)
35. Metro-North Commuter R.R. Co. v. Buckley, 521 US 424 (1997)
36. Gammon v. Osteopathic Hospital of Maine, Inc., Maine (1987)
37. Johnson v. Jamaica Hospital, New York (1984)
38. Portee v. Jaffee, New Jersey (1980)
39. Nycal Corporation v. KPMG Peat Marwick LLP, Massachusetts (1998)
40. Emerson v. Magendantz, Rhode Island (1997)
41. Stubbs v. City of Rochester, New York (1919)
42. Zuchowicz v. United States, 2d Cir. (1998)
43. Matsuyama v. Birnbaum, Massachusetts (2008)
44. Summers v. Tice, California (1948)
45. Hymowitz v. Eli Lilly & Co., New York (1989)
46. Benn v. Thomas, Iowa (1994)
47. In re an Arbitration Between Polemis & Another & Furness, Withy & Co., Ltd., England (1921)
48. Overseas Tankship Ltd. v. Mort’s Dock & Engineering Co., Ltd., England (1961)
49. Torres v. El Paso Electric Co., New Mexico (1999)
50. Palsgraf v. Long Island Railroad Co., New York (1928)
51. Davies v. Mann, England (1842)
52. Fritts v. McKinne, Oklahoma (1996)
53. Hanks v. Powder Ridge Restaurant Corp., Connecticut (2005)
54. Murphy v. Steeplechase Amusement Co., New York (1929)
55. Davenport v. Cotton Hope Plantation Horizontal Property Regime, South Carolina (1998)
56. Riegel v. Medtronic, Inc., 552 US 312 (2008)
57. Fletcher v. Rylands, England (1866)
58. Rylands v. Fletcher, England (1868)
59. Sullivan v. Dunham, New York (1900)
60. Indiana Harbor Belt R.R. Co. v. American Cyanamid Co., 7th Cir. (1990)
61. MacPherson v. Buick Motor Co., New York (1916)
62. Escola v. Coca Cola Bottling Co. of Fresno, California (1944)
63. Soule v. General Motors Corporation, California (1994)
64. Camacho v. Honda Motor Co., Colorado (1987)
65. Hood v. Ryobi America Corp., 4th Cir. (1999)
66. Centocor v. Hamilton, Texas (2012)
67. General Motors Corporation v. Sanchez, Texas (1999)
68. Jones v. Ryobi, Ltd., 8th Cir. (1994)
69. Liriano v. Hobart Corp., New York (1998)
70. Royer v. Catholic Medical Center, New Hampshire (1999)
71. East River Steamship Corp. v. Transamerica Delaval Inc., 476 US 858 (1986)
72. Garratt v. Dailey, Washington (1955)
73. Picard v. Barry Pontiac-Buick, Inc., Rhode Island (1995)
74. Wishnatsky v. Huey, North Dakota (1998)
75. Lopez v. Winchell’s Donut House, Illinois (1984)
76. Womack v. Eldridge, Virginia (1974)
77. Hustler Magazine v. Falwell, 485 US 46 (1988)
78. Martin v. Reynolds Metals Co., Oregon (1959)
79. Thyroff v. Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co., New York (2007)
80. Hart v. Geysel, Washington (1930)
81. Courvoisier v. Raymond, Colorado (1896)
82. Katko v. Briney, Iowa (1971)
83. Vincent v. Lake Erie Transportation Co., Minnesota (1910)
November 29, 2023
Good afternoon tortfeasors...
I generally enjoyed torts as a class, but the notes section of this book is HEAVY. Why you would make the notes section twice as long as the actual case is beyond me.
Some notes. I really want to meet Maxine Hammontree. Getting a DBCD tattoo after this. I hope an attorney comes up to me in the gym and talks about the Palsgraf case (I get a job offered on the spot). I want to buy a Sports Seat. Do we even care about intentional torts? (Hint: not me). Negligence per se and respondeat superior forever (I love speaking Latin).
Here is to hoping my first exam ever in law school goes well!! #Clogger4Life
I generally enjoyed torts as a class, but the notes section of this book is HEAVY. Why you would make the notes section twice as long as the actual case is beyond me.
Some notes. I really want to meet Maxine Hammontree. Getting a DBCD tattoo after this. I hope an attorney comes up to me in the gym and talks about the Palsgraf case (I get a job offered on the spot). I want to buy a Sports Seat. Do we even care about intentional torts? (Hint: not me). Negligence per se and respondeat superior forever (I love speaking Latin).
Here is to hoping my first exam ever in law school goes well!! #Clogger4Life
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2020
Made little to no sense
December 10, 2021
had to read for my actual class
December 31, 2022
Terrible. Do not recommend.
November 19, 2023
woo hoo, torts! whats your favorite tort?
December 16, 2023
School - I looove this textbook
December 21, 2023
more interesting than the others! so boring though 🩷
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April 27, 2024lol
Read
April 29, 2024Humbling to realize your life is only worth so much in compensatory damages.
December 20, 2024
Enjoyed studying Torts law lol
April 28, 2025
actually fuck this book and fuck all of torts law
November 28, 2025
Such a fun nonfiction read
November 29, 2025
Would not recommend. Main characters didn’t even kiss smh. 👎👎
December 16, 2025
fuck this
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December 24, 2025I never thought id end up here but i have to get to my goal somehow…
December 27, 2025
Torts was my favorite class of 1L fall. I found the case selection to be pretty solid and the notes/explanations to be helpful.
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December 31, 2025Call me Mr. Tort
January 7, 2026
I would’ve rated this higher if my torts final exam hadn’t intentionally inflicted emotional distress. :(
November 9, 2016
Thoroughly enjoyed this, but only because I have the jokesiest prof who made every case meme-able.
August 24, 2015
It wants a lot of engagement from its reader. It won't stop asking questions, expecting us to connect previously read cases and consider hypothetical situations. Which is nice, except I only have so many hours to read you, book!
Not a bad book, on the whole, but hard to parse through, especially since we barely discussed any of the notes in class. Would've been helpful if the professor told us what to focus on before we had to fight through a 40-page assignment. But that's not the book's fault.
Not a bad book, on the whole, but hard to parse through, especially since we barely discussed any of the notes in class. Would've been helpful if the professor told us what to focus on before we had to fight through a 40-page assignment. But that's not the book's fault.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
























