Res ipsa loquitur
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| Tort law II |
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| Part of the common law series |
| Negligent torts |
| Negligence · Negligent hiring |
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| Proximate cause · Res ipsa loquitur |
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| Criminal law · Evidence |
Res ipsa loquitur is a legal term from the Latin meaning literally, "The thing speaks for itself". The doctrine is applied to claims which, as a matter of law, do not have to be explained beyond the obvious facts. It is most useful to plaintiffs in negligence cases.
Under the old common law rule, to use res ipsa loquitur in the context of negligence the plaintiff must prove that:
- The harm would not ordinarily have occurred without someone's negligence
- The instrumentality of the harm was under the exclusive control of the defendant at the time of the likely negligent act
- The plaintiff did not contribute to the harm by his own negligence.
- For instance, plaintiff Doe is injured when an elevator he has entered plunges several floors and stops abruptly.
- Roe Corporation built, and is responsible for maintaining, the elevator.
- Doe sues Roe and during the proceedings, Roe claims that Doe's complaint should be dismissed because he has never proved, or for that matter even offered, a theory as to why the elevator functioned incorrectly. Therefore, argues Roe, there is no evidence that they were at fault in the incident.
- The court may hold that Doe does not have to prove anything beyond the fall itself.
- The elevator malfunctioned, Roe was responsible for the elevator in every respect, so they are responsible for the fall.
- The thing speaks for itself.
Byrne v. Boadle
The principle of res ipsa loquitur was first put forward by Baron Pollock in Byrne v. Boadle, 159 Eng.Rep. 299 (1863). Byrne was struck by a barrel of flour falling from a second-storey window. The court's presumption was that a barrel of flour falling out of a second-storey window is itself sufficient evidence of negligence:
- We are all of opinion that the rule must be absolute to enter the verdict for the plaintiff. The learned counsel was quite right in saying that there are many accidents from which no presumption of negligence can arise, but I think it would be wrong to lay down as a rule that in no case can a presumption of negligence arise from the fact of an accident. Suppose in this case the barrel had rolled out of the warehouse and fallen on the plaintiff, how could he possibly ascertain from what cause it occurred? It is the duty of persons who keep barrels in a warehouse to take care that they do not roll out, and I think that such a case would, beyond all doubt, afford prima facie evidence of negligence. A barrel could not roll out of a warehouse without some negligence, and to say that a plaintiff who is injured by it must call witnesses from the warehouse to prove negligence seems to me preposterous.
- The present case upon the evidence comes to this, a man is passing in front of the premises of a dealer in flour, and there falls down upon him a barrel of flour. I think it apparent that the barrel was in the custody of the defendant who occupied the premises, and who is responsible for the acts of his servants who had the control of it; and in my opinion the fact of its falling is prima facie evidence of negligence, and the plaintiff who was injured by it is not bound to show that it could not fall without negligence, but if there are any facts inconsistent with negligence it is for the defendant to prove them
Canada
In Canada the doctrine of res ipsa loquitur has been largely overturned by the Supreme Court. In case of Fontaine v. British Columbia (Official Administrator) [1998] 1 S.C.R. 424 the Court rejected the use of res ipsa loquitur and instead proposed the rule that once the plaintiff has proven that the harm was under exclusive control of the defendant and that they were not contributorally negligent a tactical burden is placed on the defendant in which the judge has the discretion to infer negligence unless the defendant can produce evidence to the contrary.Hong Kong
Some lawyers prefer to avoid the expression res ipsa loquitur (For example, Hobhouse LJ in Ratcliffe v Plymouth & Torbay Health Authority [1998] PIQRP170). However, some other lawyers (and judges too) still find the expression a convenient one to refer to (For example, see Bokhary PJ, a permanent judge of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal, in Sanfield Building Contractors Ltd v Li Kai Cheong [2003] 6 HKCFAR 207).
The expression res ipsa loquitur is not a doctrine but a “mode of inferential reasoning” applies only to accidents of unknown cause. (see Sanfield Building Contractors Ltd v Li Kai Cheong [2003] 6 HKCFAR 207 and Schellenbery v Tunnel Holdings Pty Ltd (2000) 200 CLR 121)
The res ipsa loquitur mode of inferential reasoning comes into play where an accident of unknown cause is one that would not normally happen without negligence on the part of the defendant in control of the object or activity which injured the plaintiff or damaged his property. In such a situation the court is able to infer negligence on the defendant's part unless he offers an acceptable explanation consistent with his having taken reasonable care. (see Sanfield Building Contractors Ltd v Li Kai Cheong [2003] 6 HKCFAR 207)
United States
Most American courts recognize res ipsa loquitur. The Restatement (Third) of Torts, § 17 describes a two step process for establishing res ipsa loquitur. The first step is whether the accident is the kind that would usually be caused by negligence, and the second is whether or not the defendant had exclusive control over the instrumentality that caused the accident. If found, res ipsa creates an inference of negligence, although in most cases it does not necessarily result in a directed verdict.Res ipsa loquitur commonly occurs in cases of commercial airplane accidents.
Popular culture
Res ipsa loquitur tends to be an unnecessarily difficult concept for new law students to understand. Because of the resulting confusion, the joke has developed, "Res ipsa loquitur, sed quid in infernos dicetne?" ("The thing speaks for itself, but what the hell is it saying?")This is also one way that writer Hunter S. Thompson signed his essays.
In the series pilot of the popular American TV show "NYPD Blue" the episode opens with a courtroom scene where the character of New York detective Andy Sipowicz is defending himself from accusations that he planted nails such that they would cause a flat tire in the vehicle of the defendant, someone he suspected of transporting drugs. He had accosted his suspect while he was retreiving the jack from his trunk, allowing him to look inside the trunk without probable cause. The charges brought against the defendant are thrown out. Outside the courtroom, Sipowicz (who is drunk) confronts the assistant District Attorney prosecuting the case, Sylvia Costas--who would by the end of season 2 become his wife--about her failure to convict. She responds, "I'd say res ipsa loquitur if I thought you knew what it meant." Sipowicz shoots back with one of the show's memorable quotes, grabbing his crotch: "Hey, ipsa this, you pissy little bitch."
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