What is the eggshell rule for plaintiffs?

Asked by: Ciara Bogisich  |  Last update: January 19, 2026
Score: 4.6/5 (21 votes)

The eggshell skull rule, also known as the thin skull rule, is a common law doctrine that makes a defendant liable for the plaintiff's unforeseeable and uncommon reactions to the defendant's negligent or intentional tort .

What is the eggshell personality law?

This rule holds that a tortfeasor is liable for all consequences resulting from their tortious (usually negligent) activities leading to an injury to another person, even if the victim suffers an unusually high level of damage (e.g. due to a pre-existing vulnerability or medical condition).

What are the jury instructions for the eggshell plaintiff?

Jury instructions must be used to reiterate to the jury that defendant is liable for the aggravation of a pre-existing condition, and that damages must be given according to plaintiff's pre-existing condition and susceptibility.

What are the four things a plaintiff must prove to win a lawsuit under the theory of negligence per se?

The existence of a legal duty to the plaintiff; The defendant breached that duty; The plaintiff was injured; and, The defendant's breach of duty caused the injury.

What is the unusual plaintiff rule?

The Eggshell Plaintiff Rule, also known as the “Eggshell Skull” or “Peculiar Susceptibility” Rule, is a well-established but complicated legal doctrine that can make a defendant liable for the injured plaintiff's uncommon reactions to the defendant's intentional or negligent behavior.

What Is The Eggshell Plaintiff Doctrine?

26 related questions found

What is the one good plaintiff rule?

This exception holds that a court entertaining a multiple-plaintiff case may dispense with inquiring into the standing of each plaintiff as long as the court finds that one plaintiff has standing to pursue the claims before the court.

What is the crumbling skull rule?

The crumbling skull rule deals with a plaintiff that has an unstable pre-existing condition. The defendant need not compensate the plaintiff for the effects of their condition, which they would have experienced anyway. The defendant is liable for additional damage, but not the pre-existing damage.

What must a plaintiff prove to win?

elements (of a case)
  • The existence of a legal duty that the defendant owed to the plaintiff.
  • The defendant's breach of that duty.
  • The plaintiff's sufferance of an injury.
  • Proof that defendant's breach caused the injury (typically defined through proximate cause)

What is the ABC rule of negligence?

Summarize the ABC Rule. Anyone who causes damages to someone else, where the act or inaction would foreseeably cause damages and where the extent of the damages was also foreseeable, will be held liable, as long as the act or inaction was the direct or proximate cause of the loss.

What two remedies are available in a civil lawsuit?

Generally, speaking there are three types of remedies that can be awarded by a court in a civil litigation case including: (1) damage remedies, (2) restitution remedies, and (3) equitable remedies such as declaratory judgments and injunctions.

What is the eggshell plaintiff doctrine?

So what does this all have to do with the Eggshell Plaintiff rule? Essentially, this rule states that just because a plaintiff was particularly vulnerable to harm does not change a defendant's culpability for their injuries.

What is the golden rule of the jury trial?

A “golden rule” argument is one that, regardless of the nomenclature used, asks the jurors to place themselves in a victim's position. We have repeatedly held that a golden rule argument is improper, and we conclude that the State violated this prohibition in its closing argument.

What is contributory negligence?

Contributory negligence is a common law tort rule which bars plaintiffs from recovering for the negligence of others if they too were negligent in causing the harm. Contributory negligence has been replaced in many jurisdictions with the doctrine of comparative negligence .

What is the eggshell victim rule?

A legal doctrine known as the Eggshell Skull Rule protects victims with pre-existing conditions from being barred from monetary recoveries because of their conditions.

What is the formula for the eggshell?

Detailed Solution

Eggshell is made up of CaCO3. CaCO3 is the chemical formula of calcium carbonate. Eggshell is a semipermeable membrane that allows air and moisture to pass through its pore. Bloom or cuticle is the outermost coating of eggshell that keeps bacteria and dust away.

What is an unstable relationship?

In an unstable relationship, you regularly have problems and conflicts with your partner or you are having trouble with establishing longlasting and healthy friendships. It can feel like the relationship is on thin ice that can break at any moment.

What are the 4 types of negligence?

While seemingly straightforward, the concept of negligence itself can also be broken down into four types of negligence: gross negligence, comparative negligence, contributory negligence, and vicarious negligence or vicarious liability.

What is the express negligence rule?

The express negligence doctrine states that a party seeking indemnity from the consequences of that party's own negligence must express that intent in specific terms within the four corners of the contract.

What are the four conditions that must be met to prove negligence?

Under California law, there are four legal principles of negligence required for a claim include duty of care, breach of duty of care, causation, and damages.

What is the burden of proof required of a plaintiff in most civil cases?

The standard in civil cases is the “preponderance of evidence,” meaning the plaintiff must prove that their claims are more likely valid than not. According to the Legal Information Institute, “51% certainty is the threshold” for meeting the preponderance of evidence standard in most civil cases.

What 4 elements must a plaintiff prove?

Most civil lawsuits for injuries allege the wrongdoer was negligent. To win in a negligence lawsuit, the victim must establish 4 elements: (1) the wrongdoer owed a duty to the victim, (2) the wrongdoer breached the duty, (3) the breach caused the injury (4) the victim suffered damages.

What is the most common example of negligence?

Some common negligence case examples under this category include, but are not limited to, the following scenarios:
  • A driver runs a stop sign and slams into another car.
  • A driver operates illegally in the bicycle lane and hits a bicyclist.
  • A driver runs a red light and hits a pedestrian in a crosswalk.

What is the thin skin rule?

The eggshell skull rule, also known as the thin skull rule, is a common law doctrine that makes a defendant liable for the plaintiff's unforeseeable and uncommon reactions to the defendant's negligent or intentional tort .

What is the but for test in tort law?

The but-for test is a test commonly used in both tort law and criminal law to determine actual causation . The test asks, "but for the existence of X, would Y have occurred?" In tort law, but-for causation is a prerequisite to liability in combination with proximate cause .

What is the thick skull law?

Also called the “Eggshell Skull” Rule, the theory is that a person with an especially fragile skull who suffers a blow to the head should be able to recover for the full extent of the injury even if someone with a thicker skull might not have been so badly injured.