Drivers Action ACT Costa



November 25, 2020

  1. Drivers Action Act Costa Rica
  2. Drivers Action Act Costa Brava
  3. Action Act Bus

Jun 30, 2011 Generally, prior to taking any adverse action against the driver (for instance, deciding not to hire the driver, or assigning the driver for remedial training in orientation) that is based in whole. A duty of care is the responsibility that a person or business has when doing business with, or otherwise interacting with, other people and businesses. Under tort law, duty of care is defined as the responsibility of a person or business to act as a reasonable person would act in a similar situation. Under the FW Act, industrial action does not include any of the following: action by employees that is authorised or agreed to by the employer; action by an employer that is authorised or agreed to by, or on behalf of, employees; action taken by an employee if.

To assist undocumented workers who have lost their jobs or income as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak, Legal Aid at Work has compiled a list of known relief funds for undocumented workers. We will be updating this list as new information becomes available. For more information on the job-related legal rights of undocumented workers, see our Fact Sheet on Undocumented Workers and our Coronavirus FAQ.

Para asistir a trabajadores indocumentado/as quienes han perdido su trabajo debido a la pandemia de coronavirus, Legal Aid at Work (Ayuda Legal Laboral) ha publicado una lista de fondos de alivio para trabajadores indocumentado/as. Publicaremos recursos nuevos cuando estén disponibles. Para más información sobre los derechos laborales de trabajadores indocumentado/as, vea nuestros recursos: Los Derechos de Empleo del Trabajador Indocumentado y Coronavirus FAQ (preguntas frecuentes sobre el coronavirus).

为了帮助那些因为新冠病毒大流行受影响失去工作的无证工人,劳工法律中心编辑了一份为已知的无证工人提供救济基金名单。我们会根据新的资讯更新这份名单。请参阅我们的无证工人工作权利情况简介以及新冠病毒工人权益常见问题,以了解更多详情。

Drivers

(Effective Date / Fecha Efectiva: Nov. 25, 2020.)

CLICK HERE to view the list on your phone / HAGA CLIC AQUÍ para ver la lista en su móvil / 击点这里手机上阅读名单

Immigrant Resilience Fund Local Partners/ Fondo de Resiliencia de Inmigrantes Organizaciones Locales

List of Organizations Where You Can Go to Apply /

Lista de Organizaciones a Dónde Puede Acudir Para Aplicar / 可以申请的机构名单

Northern California /

Norte de California / 北加州

https://www.immigrantfundca.org/northern-california
San Francisco Bay Area /

Área de la Bahía de San Francisco / 三藩市湾区

https://www.immigrantfundca.org/san-francisco-bay-area
Central Coast / Costa Central / 中部海岸https://www.immigrantfundca.org/central-coast
Central Valley / Valle Central / 中谷https://www.immigrantfundca.org/central-valley
Los Angeles County / 洛杉矶县

Condado de Los Ángeles

https://www.immigrantfundca.org/los-angeles
Orange County /

Condado de Orange / 橙县

https://www.immigrantfundca.org/orange-county
Inland Empire / Imperio Interior / 内陆帝国 https://www.immigrantfundca.org/inland-empire
Border Region /

Region de la Frontera / 边界地区

https://www.immigrantfundca.org/border-region

Informacion adicional sobre el Fondo de Resiliencia de Inmigrantes / additional information about Immigrant Resilience Fund: 额外资金: https://www.immigrantfundca.org/about-local-partners

ELIGIBILITY / ELEGIBILIDAD / 资格要求HOW TO APPLY /

COMO APLICAR / 如何申请

FUNDS AVAILABLE? / FONDOS DISPONIBLE? / 是否有钱
MAF San Mateo Immigrant Relief Fund / Fondo de Ayuda de Inmigrante de San Mateo / MAF 圣马刁移民救助基金San Mateo County/ Condado de San Mateo / 圣马刁县Live in San Mateo county; not eligible for CARES Act relief; income less than $97,440 for an individual; lost income due to COVID. / Vivir en condado de San Mateo; no ser elegible para ayuda del CARES del gobierno federal; ingresos menos de $97,440 por un individuo; haber perdido ingresos debido a COVID. / 在圣马刁县居住;不符合申请CARES Act津贴的资格;个人年收入少于$97,440;因为大流行失去收入。Information / informacion / 资讯: https://missionassetfund.org/immigrant-families-grant-sm/?mc_cid=ff9d404428&mc_eid=6ce1c3ac6e

Pre-Apply / Pre-solicitud / 申请前: https://maf.force.com/lendingcircles/PreApplicationImmigrantCVD19

Yes. / 是
YWCA Monterey County / YWCA 蒙特利县Monterey County / Condado de Monterey / 蒙特利县Residents of Monterey County irrespective of immigration status or employment status; Victims of Human Trafficking or Domestic Violence. / Residentes del condado de Monterey, sin importar el estatus migratorio o de empleo; victimas del tráfico de personas o violencia doméstica. / 蒙特利县居民,无论移民身份和雇佣情况;人口贩卖或家庭暴力的受害人。Email / mandar correo electronico a / 电邮[email protected]Yes, foodbank, access to funds for legal fees & housing costs. / Si, ayuda de comida, dinero para ayuda para gastos legales y de vivienda. / 是,粮食银行,帮助获得法律费用和住房费用。
One Fair Wage Emergency Fund / 一个公平薪金紧急基金National / Todo el pais /全国Cash assistance to restaurant workers, car service drivers, delivery workers, personal service workers & more who need the money they aren’t getting to survive. /

Asistencia en efectivo a los trabajadores de restaurantes, conductores de reparto, trabajadores de servicio y más, quienes están viendo disminuir sus ingresos durante este desastre.

需要現金援助紓困的餐館員工、汽車交通業司機、送貨員、起居照護員

English Application / 網站 (英文):

Solicitud en Español:

Will be making temporary cash gifts to workers as funding becomes available. /

Van a repartir el dinero cuando esté disponible.

援助金到位後便會為員工提供臨時現金饋贈

National Domestic Workers Alliance Coronavirus Care Fund / 美國家庭傭人聯盟冠狀病毒關愛基金National / Todo el pais / 全国At this time, the application is open to domestic workers who have participated in activities of the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA), chapters, affiliate organizations, circles and current Alia users. Will open the Fund for applications from other domestic workers as soon as funding allows. /

En este momento, la solicitud está abierta para las niñeras, trabajadoras de limpieza y trabajadoras de cuidado en el hogar que han participado en actividades de la Alianza Nacional de Trabajadoras del Hogar (la ANTH), sus capítulos, organizaciones afiliadas, círculos y usuarias actuales de Alia. Abrirán el Fondo para solicitudes de otras trabajadoras de hogar, tan pronto como la recaudación de fondos permita.

現時,申請僅向已加入美國家庭傭人聯盟(NDWA)、NDWA分會、附屬組織、圈内的家庭傭人以及目前的聯盟用戶開放。 資金一旦到位後我們的援助金便會向其他家庭傭人開放申請

Application or to sign up for information / solicitud o para pedir más información:

Text RELIEF to 97779 to get updates from NDWA, and find out when the Coronavirus Care Fund applications are ready. /

Envíe la palabra ALIVIO por texto al 97779 para recibir informes de la ANTH, incluyendo una notificación cuando estén disponibles las aplicaciones para solicitar asistencia de emergencia del Coronavirus Care Fund.

如果你是一名家庭傭人,可寫文字短信RELIEF 發送到 97779接收 NDWA的最新資訊,並可了解何時 冠狀病毒關愛基金(Coronavirus Care Fun)可供申請。

Yes, but only for workers who have participated in activities of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, NDWA chapters, affiliate orgs circles, and current Alia users. Will open to others. / Si, pero sola para las niñeras, trabajadoras de limpieza y trabajadoras de cuidado en el hogar que han participado en actividades de la Alianza Nacional de Trabajadoras del Hogar (la ANTH), sus capítulos, organizaciones afiliadas, círculos y usuarias actuales de Alia. Abrirán el Fondo para solicitudes de otras trabajadoras de hogar. / 是。但只适用于那些参与美国家庭佣人联盟活动的工人,以及这个联盟的分部成员、有关联机构、以及别名用户。将会向其他人开放。
Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation / Fundación Comunitaria de Trabajadores de Restaurantes / 餐館員工社區基金會National / Todo el pais / 全国Emergency assistance for those employed by restaurants or bars or are employed by a restaurant or bar supplier. /

Asistencia de emergencia a los trabajadores de restaurantes y camareros/as y trabajadores de un proveedor de restaurantes.

為那些餐館或酒吧以及餐館或酒吧供應商所僱用的人士提供緊急援助。

Website/Sitio web / 網站(英文: https://www.restaurantworkerscf.org/covid19faq

English Application / 申請(英文: https://form.southernsmoke.org/smoke/application/

Solicitud en Español: https://form.southernsmoke.org/smoke/application/spanish/

Yes / Si / 是.
Mission Asset Fund / 任务资产基金Students, immigrants, and workers who are being left behind by the government’s response to COVID-19./

Estudiantes, inmigrantes y trabajadores quienes están siendo excluidos de la respuesta del gobierno a COVID-19. / 学生、移民、还有那些没有受惠于政府应付大流行措施的工人

Wait list / lista de espera: https://missionassetfund.org/immigrant-families-fund/ / 等候名单Max of $500.

Maximo de $500.

最高$500

Oakland Undocumented Relief Fund / 屋崙無證人士紓困基金Oakland, California / 奥克兰,加州Immigrant Oakland workers who have lost their jobs and income as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic & the agressive public health measures necessary to combat the spread of this disease. /

Trabajadores inmigrantes de Oakland quien han perdido su trabajo o ingresos como resultado de la pandemia de COVID-19 y las medidas de salud pública que se han tomado para frenar la propagación de la enfermedad.

受到COVID-19大流行影響以及因政府為對抗該疾病而必須採取的積極的公共衛生措施而導致失去工作以及收入的屋崙移民勞工

網站(英文)https://www.centrolegal.org/our-fund/

English Application:

Solicitud en Español: http://www.ourfundoakland.org/solicite-ayuda/

英文申请:

Yes, but it’s possible there is a waitlist.

Si, pero es posible que haya una lista de espera.

是。可能需要等候。

COVID-19 Housing Retention Grants / Ayuda de Retención de Vivienda / 新冠病毒保留住房补助金Berkeley, California / 柏克莱,加州For Berkeley residents to prevent an eviction or pay for housing-related expenses (e.g., rent, utility) related to the COVID-19 crisis. Must have signed rental agreement (or documentation of tenancy), be at or below 80% of Area Median Income. /

Para los residentes de Berkeley para evitar un desalojo o pagar gastos relacionados con la vivienda (por ejemplo, renta, servicios públicos) relacionados con la crisis COVID-19. Debe tener contrato de alquiler firmado (o otra documentación de arrendamiento), tener ingresos igual o inferior al 80% de los ingresos medios del área.

提供给柏克莱居民以防止因为大流行危机被房东驱赶,或者支付和住房有关的费用(例如租金、水电等)。必须有签署租约(或居住文件),收入至少是湾区中等收入的80%以下。

Leave a voicemail at (510) 548-4040 ext. 695. Will receive a call back in 3-5 business days.

If you have not been able to pay rent for the month of April, notify your landlord in writing as soon as possible. /

Deje un mensaje de voz al (510) 548-4040 ext. 695. Recibira una llamada dentro de 3-5 días habiles.

Si no ha podido pagar la renta durante el mes de abril, notifique a su arrendador por escrito lo más pronto posible.

3-5天之内回电话。

如果你在4月份无法支付房租,应该尽快书面通知房东。

Up to $15,000. /

Un maximo de $15,000.

最高可达$15,000。

San Mateo County Strong Emergency Financial Assistance / Fuerte Condado de San Mateo Assistencia de Emergencia / 圣马刁县强力紧急财政援助San Mateo County / Condado de San Mateo

圣马刁县

Eligibility requirements:

-San Mateo county resident

-Demonstrate with bank statements, paystubs or other documents a family income within the last 30 days at or below 60% of area median income

-Demonstrate loss of job or income as a result of COVID-19

Requisitos para elegibilidad:

-Ser residente del condado de San Mateo

-Demostrar a través de cuentas de pago, cuentas bancarias y/u otros documentos un ingreso familiar dentro de los últimos 30 días en o por debajo del tope de 60% de los ingresos medios del área.

条件:

– 圣马刁县居民

– 可以用银行月结单、工资支票存根或其他文件,证明过去30天之内因为大流行令家庭收入不超过本地区中等收入的60%。

Call your closest Core Services Agency. Consult the at this link to locate the Core Services Agency that serves your area: https://hsa.smcgov.org/emergency-safety-net-assistance-core-service-agencies /

Llame su Agencia de Servicio Básico más cercana. Consulte la lista en el siguiente enlace para localizar la Agencia de Servicio Principal que brinda servicio a su área: https://hsa.smcgov.org/emergency-safety-net-assistance-core-service-agencies

致电你附近的Core Services Agency。你可以击点这个链接找出为你所住地区提供服务的Core Services Agency:

Unknown / desconocido / 未知

FAQs: https://hsa.smcgov.org/sites/hsa.smcgov.org/files/Resources%20for%20COVID%20Impacts%204-3-20.pdf

Preguntas frecuentes: https://ba0c24b1-01e2-42b9-a97f-7bd09c3c1835.filesusr.com/ugd/93bd46_bd9c1b0a587846f0af9c7b6e5fd332de.pdf

常见问题问答:

Napa Valley Community Foundation / 納帕谷社區基金會(納帕縣)Napa County / Condado de Napa / 纳帕县Available for workers who live in Napa County, whose household income is at or below 120% of Area Median Income, and who do not qualify for government-sponsored unemployment or paid family leave benefits (Undocumented). /

Disponible para trabajadores que viven en el condado de Napa, cuyos ingresos familiares son iguales o inferiores al 120% de los ingresos medios del área, y que no califican para el desempleo patrocinado por el gobierno o los beneficios de licencia familiar pagada (indocumentados).

可供家庭收入低於120%地區中位收入水平以及不符合資格申請政府支援的失業或帶薪家事假福利居住在納帕縣的(無證)勞工申請。

For residents of Calistoga, St. Helena and surrounding areas– please call (707) 965-5010 or email [email protected]

For residents of Napa, Yountville and American Canyon – please call (707) 363-8390 or email [email protected] /

Para residentes de Calistoga, St. Helena y sus alrededores, llame al (707) 965-5010 o envíe un correo electrónico a [email protected].

Para residentes de Napa, Yountville y American Canyon, llame al (707) 363-8390 o envíe un correo electrónico a [email protected].

Calistoga市、St. Helena市以及附近地區的居民 – 請致電 (707) 965-5010或電郵至 [email protected]

納帕Yountville鎮 以及美國大峽谷的居民 – 請致電 (707) 363-8390或電郵至 [email protected]。

Waitlist / lista de espera. / 需要等候
UndocuFund Monterey Bay / 无证基金蒙特利湾Santa Cruz & Monterey Counties / Condados de Santa Cruz y Monterey / 圣塔克鲁兹和蒙特利县Undocumented persons in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties. /

Personas indocumentadas en los condados de Santa Cruz y Monterey.

圣塔克鲁兹和蒙特利县的无证人士

Call 831-230-0523. Local agencies will distribute funds. / Llama 831-230-0523. Agencias locales distribuirán los fondos. / 当地政府机构会发放款项Unknown / desconocido / 未知
Sonoma Immigrant Services / Servicios de Inmigración de Sonoma / 索诺玛移民服务Sonoma, California

索诺玛县,加州

Families in Sonoma who are ineligible to receive state or federal aid. /

Familias en Sonoma quienes no son elegibles para recibir ayuda estatal o federal.

索诺玛县那些不合资格领取州或者联邦救济的家庭

https://www.sonomaimmigrant.org/relieffund

To be added to the waitlist, call or email (707) 996-6669 or [email protected]

Para ser agregado a la lista de espera, llame o mande un mensaje al (707) 996-6669 o [email protected]

致电(707) 996-6669或者到以下网址加入等候名单[email protected]

Waitlist / lista de espera. / 需要等候
Sacred Heart / 圣心Santa Clara County / Condado de Santa Clara / 圣塔克拉县Santa Clara county residents, with a household income less than 80% of the average median income, who have documented income loss related to COVID-19 due to health, employment, or school/child care closures. / Residentes del condado de Santa Clara, con ingresos de hogar del 80% del ingreso promedio, con pérdida documentada de ingresos relacionada con los impactos de COVID-19 debido a cierres de salud, empleo o escuela / cuidado de niños. / 圣塔克拉县居民,家庭收入少于平均中等收入的80%,他们因为大流行引致的健康、雇佣、学校/托儿服务关闭导致收入损失。You can find out information on the website/ Puede encontrar más informacion en nuestra pagina web / 可以在这个网站找到有关讯息

You can email them to get more information/Nos puede mandar un correo electronico para más información: / 电邮以获得更多资讯:[email protected]

You can call us for information/Nos puede llamar para más información / 致电我们获得讯息

:408-278-2166

https://www.sacredheartcs.org/covid19espanol (Información en Español)

https://sacredheartcs.org/covid19/ (Information in English)

https://sacredheartcs.org/covid19vietnamese/ (Thông tin tại Việt Nam)

.

Funding is available all year round.

Los fondos están disponibles todo el año.

款项全年都有

National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON) – Immigrant Worker Safety Net Fund / 全国日薪散工组织网络National / Todo el pais /全国Day Laborers /

Jornaleros /

日薪散工

Funds distributed by local member organizations, workers can contact NDLON by email at [email protected] or by phone at (626) 799-3566. / Organizaciones locales distribuirán los fondos; por ahora, contactar a NDLON en [email protected] o por telefono a (626) 799-3566. 款项由当地机构发放。工人可電郵[email protected]或致電(626) 799-3566 聯絡NDLON

Check for updates here / buscar informacion actualizada aqui / 查看以下網站獲取最新資訊:: https://ndlon.org/immigrant-worker-safety-net-fund/

Local member organizations distribute the fund/Organizaciones locales distribuirán los fondos. / 当地机构成员发放款项
CARECEN Immigrant Families Fund / Fondo de Familias Inmigrantes de CARECEN / CARECEN 移民家庭基金Families that need assistance to pay for housing, healthcare, food, transportation, education technology and other vitals. /

Familias que necesitan asistencia para pagar la vivienda, la atención médica, la alimentación, el transporte, la tecnología educativa y otros elementos vitales.

家庭需要协助以支付居住、健康医疗、食物、交通、教育科技以及其他必要服务的费用。

[MISSING – will update with application information when available.

Se actualizará con la información de la solicitud cuando esté disponible.]

当有申请讯息资料后会更新

Not yet. / Todavia no / 尚未有.
UndocuFund for Disaster Relief in Sonoma County / 索诺玛灾难救济无证基金Sonoma County / Condado de Sonoma / 索诺玛县Undocumented individuals and families residing in Sonoma County who have lost homes, wages, or employment. /

Individuos y familias indocumentadas que viven en el Condado de Sonoma quienes han perdido su casa, su sueldo, o su empleo.

失去家園、工資或工作的索奴馬縣的無證居民及家庭

Application / solicitud / 申请:

https://undocufund.org/

The application has reopened for victims of the LNU Complex Fires and continues to assist COVID-19 shelter in place victims./ La solicitud está abierta por los víctimas del incendio LNU Complex y todavía está ayudando a los víctimas del orden de quedarse en casa debido a COVID-19 / 已经为LNU Complex 火灾的受害人重开申请并继续协助那些大流行居家令影响到的居民
Alameda County Responsibility to Community Health-Pilot Stipend Program (ARCH) / 阿拉米达县社区责任保健补贴试行项目Alameda County/ Condado de Alameda / 阿拉米达县Adults living in designated Alameda County neighborhoods who test positive for COVID-19 and need to self-isolate./Adultos quienes viven en barrios designados en el condado de Alameda y dan positivo en la prueba de COVID-19 y necesitan aislarse. / 那些阿拉米达县指定地区被检验新冠病毒阳性反应的居民,他们需要自我隔离。

FAQs/ Preguntas Frecuentes / 常见问题: https://www.alamedasocialservices.org/public/docs/AlamedaCountyResponsibilityToCommunityHealthFAQ_SAS.pdf (Other languages available here/otros idiomas aquí / 其他语言: https://www.alamedasocialservices.org/public/index.cfm)

No application. Need to be referred by the Alameda Department of Public Health or a community health clinic./ No hay solicitud. El Departamento de Salud Pública del Condado de Alameda o una clínica de salud de la comunidad da referencias. / 无需申请。由阿拉米达公共健康部门或社区健康诊所转介No application.The county is distributing funds. /No hay solicitud. El condado está distribuyendo los fondos / 不需申请。由县发放款项.
San Francisco Right to Recover Program / 三藩市康复权利项目San Francisco / 三藩市Adults in San Francisco who test positive for COVID-19 and need help paying bills during self-isolation/ Adultos en San Francisco quienes dan positivo en la prueba de COVID-19 y necesitan ayuda con pagar los biles durante la cuarentena / 那些三藩市新冠病毒阳性反应的成人,他们在隔离期间需要帮助支付各项支出。No application. Need to be referred by the San Francisco Health Department / No hay solicitud. El Departamento de Salud Pública de San Francisco da referencias al programa / 不需申请。需要由三藩市健康部门转介。

Questions can be directed to/Puede contactar con preguntas / 有问题可以转往: [email protected] /415-701-4817.

No application.The city is distributing funds. /No hay solicitud. La ciudad está distribuyendo los fondos / 不需申请。由市发放款项.

If you know of a relief fund that is open to undocumented workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, please email the information to [email protected].

Si conoce de otro fondo de ayuda abierto a trabajadores indocumentados afectados por la pandemia de COVID-19, por favor envie la informacion por correo electrónico a [email protected].

如果你知道某个救济基金会帮助那些受新冠病毒大流行影响的无证工人,请email:[email protected]

Duty of Care meaning in law

A duty of care is the legal responsibility of a person or organization to avoid any behaviors or omissions that could reasonably be foreseen to cause harm to others. For example, a duty of care is owed by an accountant in correctly preparing a customer’s tax returns, to minimize the chance of an IRS audit. Similarly, manufacturers owe a duty of care to consumers in making sure that their products are safe for public use. To explore this concept, consider the following duty of care definition.

Definition of Duty of Care

Noun

  1. The responsibility of a person or organization to take all reasonable measures necessary to prevent activities that could result in harm to other individuals and/or their property.

Duty of Care Law

Because each of the states is free to develop its own duty of care laws, there are several different tests to determine whether someone has a duty of care under U.S. tort law. Under certain states’ duty of care laws, such as Florida and Massachusetts, the only test is whether the harm that the defendant’s actions caused could have been predicted by another reasonable person in the same circumstance. California’s duty of care law provides of one of the more complex tests in the nation, which carefully balances certain factors to determine whether a duty of care existed in a negligence action.

Some of these factors include:

  • The foreseeability of harm to the injured party
  • The degree to which the injured party suffered
  • The closeness of the connection between the defendant’s behavior and the plaintiff’s injury or other damages
  • The availability, cost, and commonness of insurance for the risks that were involved

What is Duty of Care

A duty of care is the responsibility that a person or business has when doing business with, or otherwise interacting with, other people and businesses. Under tort law, duty of care is defined as the responsibility of a person or business to act as a reasonable person would act in a similar situation. A person who violates his duty of care by acting in a negligent or reckless matter is then liable for any harm that another person suffers as a result of his behavior. Examples of duty of care relationships include:

Manufacturers

Those who manufacture products owe a duty of care to those who buy them. This means that the products must be reasonably safe for others to use. Products should also carry warnings about any potential dangers that can result from using the product.

For instance, while a chain saw is not exactly “safe” to use, it should be reasonably safe enough that it is not impossible to use. It should also have an obvious warning label informing the customer of how he can become injured and the steps he can take to prevent this.

Property Owners

Those who own businesses and homes both have a duty of care to anyone who comes onto their property, to ensure there are no reasonably foreseen dangers. For instance, a clothing store has a duty of care to ensure a tear in the carpet does not remain to trip customers, who might then be injured.

Most states have different rules insofar as what kinds of protections property owners must offer to their visitors. Typically, and understandably, customers receive the highest level of care, while trespassers receive little to none.

Businesses

Managers and other top-level representatives of businesses are expected to make reasonable decisions that are in the best interests of their business. This duty of care is one that they owe to their own businesses, and it is referred to as the “business judgment rule.”

There are also specialized tort situations that require a specialized duty of care. For example, duty of care in a medical malpractice case requires that a doctor act in a way that is comparable to another reasonable doctor in his field. This is different from comparing his actions to a reasonable everyman in a similar situation. The same goes for legal malpractice cases. Here, an attorney’s duty of care is to act as another reasonable attorney would in a similar situation.

Some situations, however, are so dangerous that no matter how much care a person takes in his actions, it is impossible to make the situation “reasonably safe” in the eyes of the law. The person is therefore held responsible for injuries and/or damages no matter what. These situations are referred to as “strict liability” cases. Examples of this include the manufacturing of explosives, or the possession of dangerous animals.

Medical Duty of Care

Medical duty of care refers to a doctor’s duty of care to his patient. According to the law, there must be a “special” relationship between the doctor and his patient for the doctor to be liable for any injuries that can result from his conduct.

For instance, if a doctor is eating dinner at a restaurant, and one of the customers there begins to choke, he is under no obligation to help that person. The customer cannot sue the doctor for malpractice for failing to help him because he does not have a relationship with that doctor.

However, if the doctor decides to take it upon himself and help the customer, the doctor then opens himself up to a malpractice or negligence lawsuit if anything goes wrong. Once the doctor initiates a relationship with that person, he owes a medical duty of care to act in a manner that another doctor would act in similar circumstances.

If a patient decides to sue a doctor for negligence, the doctor may not be the only one at fault. The hospital that has hired the doctor may also be held to the same medical duty of care standard because, in hiring the doctor, the hospital agrees to supervise his actions. The hospital can then be held liable for the negligence of its employees.

Medical Malpractice and Negligence

For a patient to be successful in a medical malpractice case, he must be able to first show that the doctor owed him a duty of care. This is done by proving that the doctor and patient had a special relationship with one another at the time of the incident. Typically, all that is needed as proof of this relationship is the patient’s medical records and, occasionally, testimony that is given in court showing that the patient chose that doctor voluntarily and was then examined by that doctor.

The patient must then be able to show the level of care that would have been appropriate in his situation. This is to establish that the doctor may have been negligent in meeting the appropriate level of care for that patient. Should the court determine that the doctor was, in fact, negligent, the patient can be awarded damages based on his claim of malpractice.

Legal Duty of Care

A legal duty of care is very similar to a medical duty of care. The only difference is that this situation involves attorneys instead of doctors. Here, there must also exist a “special” relationship between an attorney and his client before a client can successfully sue the attorney for malpractice. An attorney who has not yet been retained on a case does not owe a legal duty of care to the person he has met with because that person is not yet his client.

Once the person retains the attorney for his case, he becomes a client. The attorney is then held to the same legal duty of care that other attorneys in similar situations and fields of law would be held to. This means that the attorney is responsible for acting in the client’s best interests, and to take all steps possible to prevent the client from incurring additional damages as the result of his claim.

Legal Malpractice and Negligence

Legal malpractice is similar to medical malpractice in that the malpractice occurs when an attorney is negligent in his duty of care to his client. Here, negligence amounts to an attorney not exercising “reasonable care,” meaning that he does not practice with the same level of skill that another attorney in a similar situation would. In order for a client to win a malpractice case, he must be able to prove that he would have won his case had it not been for his attorney’s negligence in handling the matter.

Duty of Care Examples

Cara Munn, a 15-year-old girl attending the private Hotchkiss School in Connecticut, participated in a summer program in China that was organized by the school in March of 2007. Among the materials that were sent home to parents in preparation for the trip were a link to the Center for Disease Control (CDC)’s webpage and a recommendation to pack bug spray. However, no warnings were included insofar as the insect-borne diseases that the students could contract while abroad.

On June 23, 2007, the students traveled to Mt. Pan, which is a forested mountain in China. No warnings about wearing bug spray were given prior to embarking on the trip. After hiking to the top of the mountain, Munn and some of the other students decided to hike back down while the group leader and the rest of the students took a cable car. On their way down, however, the students got lost and walked through trees and brush.

Munn received several insect bites and an itchy welt on her left arm. Ten days later, Munn awoke with a headache, wooziness, and a fever. Her conditioned worsened quickly to the point where she was taken to a local hospital. Munn was airlifted back to New York. By this point, she was severely ill, and partially paralyzed.

Upon her return, Munn was diagnosed with tick-borne encephalitis (“TBE”), a viral disease that attacks the central nervous system. Due to her illness, Munn lost the ability to speak, and had trouble controlling her facial muscles, which caused her to drool.

Drivers Action Act Costa Rica

Munn and her parents sued Hotchkiss for neglecting the duty of care it owed to Munn. At trial, Munn, still unable to speak, testified via a machine into which she typed her answers. Munn’s mother testified that Munn’s condition led to “a lot of rejection,” and that she had also lost some cognitive function, especially in the areas of reading comprehension and math. Munn, however, managed to lead a functional life after the incident, finishing high school and attending college. She also continued to travel, play sports, and hold summer internships.

The jury found Hotchkiss guilty of negligence, and awarded the Munns $41.5 million in damages. On appeal, Hotchkiss argued that it was not legally obligated to warn the students about tick-borne diseases, nor was it their responsibility to protect the students from tick-borne encephalitis. The school also complained that the jury award was excessive.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit agreed with the Munns that there was indeed enough evidence for the jury to find that Munn’s illness was foreseeable. However, the court was unable to determine whether Hotchkiss could be held legally responsible for her condition.

Drivers Action Act Costa Brava

The court ultimately remanded the case back to the Connecticut Supreme Court for the lower court to potentially deduce the answers to two questions:

  • If Connecticut’s public policy supported imposing a duty on Hotchkiss to warn students about, or protect them from, serious insect-borne diseases when organizing trips out of the country; and
  • If so, should the damages award then be reduced

Related Legal Terms and Issues

Action Act Bus

  • Audit – An official inspection of someone’s financial accounts.
  • Defendant – A party against whom a lawsuit has been filed in civil court, or who has been accused of, or charged with, a crime or offense.
  • Retain – To keep someone engaged in a service, such as an attorney.
  • Tort – An intentional or negligent act, a civil wrong, as opposed to a criminal act, which causes harm to another.