Planas & Pérez, lawyers in El Monte, CA, California

The Basic Law of Fraud

As a general rule, it is not illegal to say something that is not true. The general rule probably evolved from the fact that, in addition to engaging in intentional deception, human beings can simply be mistaken. It is also true that some false statements do not deceive because they come from sources known to be unreliable. If we do not rely on the mistaken statements of others, they do us no harm.More...

Tort Action for Failure to Provide Facilities to the Public

Under the common law, a person commits a tort when he or she fails to provide a public utility or a public facility to a member of the public. In order to be liable for this tort, the person must have a non-contractual duty to provide the public utility or the public facility to the public. A denial of the public utility or the public facility constitutes a breach of that duty. More...

Transferred Intent

In order to prove an intentional tort, such as assault or battery, a plaintiff must show that a defendant intended to commit the tort. Under the doctrine of transferred intent, a defendant's intent to commit a tort against one person may be transferred to another person.More...

The Eggshell Skull Rule

Suppose that a mugger approaches a jogger on a street, hoping to steal the jogger's wallet. In order to disable the jogger, the mugger strikes him on the head. Unbeknownst to the mugger, the jogger suffers from a rare medical condition that has made his skull as thin and fragile as an eggshell. Therefore, the mugger's assault kills the jogger. Under the "Eggshell Skull Rule," the mugger is liable for the death of the jogger, even though the jogger's death was unintended and unexpected.More...

Liability of Air Traffic Controllers

Air traffic controllers are responsible for the flow of air traffic in and around airports. The controllers must be licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The duties of the controllers are set forth in operations manuals that are prepared by the FAA. The controllers must transmit the information that is set forth in the manuals and must take all steps that are necessary for the safety of pilots and passengers.More...