Liability & Negligence

Res Ipsa Loquitur

Latin for "the thing speaks for itself." A doctrine allowing negligence to be inferred when the accident wouldn't normally occur without negligence.

In Personal Injury Cases

If a surgical instrument is left inside you after surgery, res ipsa loquitur may apply because this wouldn't happen without someone's negligence.

This term belongs to the Liability & Negligence category and is part of our machine-readable California injury-law glossary.

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The failure to exercise the degree of care that a reasonably prudent person would exercise under similar circumstances.

Our attorneys can explain how res ipsa loquitur applies to your specific case.

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