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Simple English definitions for legal terms
hulk
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A quick definition of hulk:
A hulk is an old ship that has been taken apart and used as a prison. People used to live in these ships, but the conditions were very bad. They were eventually stopped being used as prisons because people wanted to make sure that prisoners were treated better.
The last-clear-chance doctrine is a rule that says if someone was hurt because they were not careful, they can still get money from the person who caused the accident if that person had the last chance to stop the accident but did not. This rule helps people who were hurt because of someone else's mistake.
A more thorough explanation:
Definition: In England, a hulk is a dismantled ship that was used as a prison. The living conditions in hulks were very poor, and they were eventually stopped being used as prisons as part of the prison-reform movements in the mid-19th century.
Definition: The last-clear-chance doctrine is a rule in torts that allows a plaintiff who was contributorily negligent to still recover from the defendant if the defendant had the last opportunity to prevent the harm but failed to use reasonable care to do so. This means that if the defendant's negligence is later in time than the plaintiff's, the plaintiff can still recover damages.
For example, if a pedestrian is jaywalking and gets hit by a car, the pedestrian may be considered contributorily negligent. However, if the driver of the car had the last opportunity to avoid hitting the pedestrian but failed to do so, the last-clear-chance doctrine may allow the pedestrian to recover damages from the driver.