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Simple English definitions for legal terms
inevitable-accident doctrine
Read a random definition: National Park Service
A quick definition of inevitable-accident doctrine:
The inevitable-accident doctrine is a rule in tort law that says no one is responsible for an accident that was not foreseeable and could not have been prevented even with reasonable care. However, many courts now prefer to focus on the concepts of duty, negligence, and proximate cause instead of relying on this doctrine.
A more thorough explanation:
The inevitable-accident doctrine, also known as the unavoidable-accident doctrine, is a legal rule that states that no party can be held liable for an accident that was not foreseeable and could not have been prevented by exercising reasonable care.
For example, if a driver is driving on a road and suddenly a tree falls on their car, causing an accident, the driver cannot be held liable for the accident because it was not foreseeable and could not have been prevented by the driver's reasonable care.
However, the modern trend is for courts to ignore this doctrine and instead rely on the basic concepts of duty, negligence, and proximate cause to determine liability in accidents.
Overall, the inevitable-accident doctrine is a legal principle that protects parties from liability in accidents that were truly unavoidable and unforeseeable.