Why is the law of negligence reluctant to impose a duty of care for pure economic loss?

Asked by: Esteban Barrows  |  Last update: February 19, 2022
Score: 4.4/5 (57 votes)

They are generally not recoverable in negligence. This is because a duty of care must be consistent with an assumption of responsibility. There is no presumed general duty to avoid causing economic loss to another: it must be shown that such a duty was actually and deliberately assumed.

Why is the law relating to pure economic loss so restrictive?

Recovery at law for pure economic loss is restricted under some circumstances in some jurisdictions, in particular in tort in common law jurisdictions, for fear that it is potentially unlimited and could represent a "crushing liability" against which parties would find it impossible to insure.

What is pure economic loss under negligence?

Pure economic loss is financial damage suffered as the result of the negligent act of another party which is not accompanied by any physical damage to a person or property. ... For negligent misstatements, the classic authority for the recovery of economic loss in tort is Hedley Byrne v Heller.

How does the law deal with negligence claims based on economic loss?

Economic Loss Due to Negligence Causing a Claimant to Acquire Defective Goods or Property. As a general rule, tort will not compensate for the economic loss of receiving a defective product. ... As a rule, it is not possible to recover damages in tort for a defective product.

What are the only circumstances in negligence where pure economic loss can be recovered?

The Murphy rule, and the “qualification”

Legal and construction practitioners will no doubt be familiar with the general rule, established in Murphy v Brentwood District Council, that pure economic losses are only recoverable if they flow from a breach of contractual duty.

Pure Economic Loss and Negligent Misstatement - Part One

44 related questions found

Why will a claimant not have a successful claim in negligence for pure economic loss?

These two losses are known as "pure economic loss". They are generally not recoverable in negligence. This is because a duty of care must be consistent with an assumption of responsibility.

Is the a duty of care for pure economic loss?

The starting point is that generally, defendants are not liable in tort for “pure economic loss”. ... As a consequence, no duty is owed by a defendant who negligently damages property belonging to a third party to a claimant who suffers loss because of a dependence upon that property or its third party owner.

What causes economic loss?

Economic loss may be caused by a natural disaster, such as a hurricane, or by the negligence of another party. Pure economic loss is usually defined as financial loss that excludes property damage. In cases of pure economic loss, the only thing that is lost is money.

How is negligent misstatement a contractual problem?

A negligent misstatement is a claim which is brought by one party against another at common law in tort. ... If the Claimant can show that there was a contract in place between the parties then he may be able to sue under the contract (for negligent misrepresentation) as well as under tort.

What is economic loss in contract law?

Economic loss is the financial loss suffered by a party that is caused through a web of economic relationships in which the party is involved. The economic loss rule states that a plaintiff cannot recover damages for a pure financial loss.

What is pure economic loss in construction?

What is Pure Economic Loss? The term 'pure economic loss' refers to a loss that is purely financial i.e. not one that is consequent upon any personal injury or direct property damage. ... The processing of one of the steel sheets was interrupted causing it to be damaged beyond repair.

When can a claimant recover damages for pure economic loss ?'?

When can a claimant recover damages for 'pure economic loss?' a) Where the defendant has made a negligent misstatement that causes the claimant to sustain pure economic loss.

What is pure financial loss insurance?

Pure Financial Loss means pecuniary loss that is not consequent upon Bodily Injury or Property Damage and is not otherwise included in the definition of Injury. ... Pure Financial Loss means any financial claim which is measurable in monetary terms and neither occurred in consequence of a Bodily Injury nor Property Damage.

Why did the claimant in Donoghue v Stevenson bring her action in tort of negligence instead of contract?

Mrs Donoghue was not able to claim through breach of warranty of a contract: she was not party to any contract. Therefore, she issued proceedings against Stevenson, the manufacture, which snaked its way up to the House of Lords.

Is the distinction between pure economic loss and consequential economic loss clear?

Economic loss is then divided into "consequential economic loss" - that which arises directly from some physical damage or injury (e.g. loss of earnings from having your arm cut off) and "pure economic loss", which is everything else. ... The physical injury is caused to the deceased, not the family.

How is duty of care for mental harm determined?

A duty of care exists only where the person who has caused another to suffer mental harm ought to have foreseen that a person of normal fortitude might, in the circumstances, suffer if reasonable care was not taken.

What is a negligent misstatement in law?

An action for negligent misstatement arises where Party A has carelessly made a statement to Party B, where the relationship between the parties is such that Party A owes Party B a duty of care. A negligent misstatement claim is brought at common law in tort.

What is misstatement law?

Misstatement means an untrue statement of a material fact or an omission to state a material fact required to be stated in a publicly-filed document necessary to make the statements in such a document not misleading; provided, however, that such term shall not apply to any statement or omission based on information ...

What is negligent misstatement as per law of tort?

Deceit– a tort arising from an untrue or false statement of facts which are made by a person, recklessly or knowingly, with an intention that it shall be acted upon by the other person, who would suffer damages as a result. In other words, it is the practice or action of deceiving someone by misrepresenting the truth.

What does economic loss mean?

When an individual or organization loses money, it's called an economic loss. ... Additionally, economic loss equates to financial loss. They can be calculated from statements, records, medical bills, past and future expenses, wage losses, future lost earning capacity or profits, property damage, and more.

What is pure economic loss Australia?

"Pure" economic loss in Australia law

Australian law has always treated negligence claims for "pure" economic loss, actions in which the claimant has lost money but not been physically injured, as different to other kinds of negligence claims.

Can you recover economic loss for negligence?

In the most general of terms, it can be said that purely economic loss is not recoverable under American tort law rules of negligence. That, however, does not mean that economic losses can never be re- covered in a negligence case, e.g., in a case where the plaintiff suffers both physical injury and economic loss.

What is an example of duty of care?

For example, a doctor would owe you a duty of care to make sure that they give you proper medical attention, but would not owe you a duty of care in other areas like taking care of your finances.

What types of loss are recoverable from a successful claim of negligence?

Against this background, we set out below common categories of loss and damage that have been awarded by the courts in claims for compensation for professional negligence.
  • Compensation for loss of chance. ...
  • Compensation for diminution in value. ...
  • Compensation for wasted expenditure. ...
  • Compensation for additional legal costs.

How do I claim economic losses?

To succeed in a claim for pure economic loss as a result of a negligent misstatement, the following needs to be proved:
  1. A special relationship between the parties.
  2. A voluntary assumption of responsibility by the party offering the advice.
  3. Reliance on that advice by the party receiving it.
  4. The reliance must be reasonable.