TORT LAW CHAPTER from ANIMAL LAW

Additional Book Details

(This is solely the TORT LAW chapter from ANIMAL LAW--NEW PERSPECTIVES ON TEACHING TRADITIONAL LAW (Hessler et al).)
American society is undergoing a significant change in the treatment of animals, particularly the animals who live with human beings and are increasingly considered to be family members. Adding animal law concepts to a torts course engages students in analyzing how the legal system responds to changing societal values, and allows them to more clearly see bridges between legal fields. In particular, the valuation and measure of damages in tort cases, where the injured or killed victim is a beloved companion animal, is the focus in a growing number of cases throughout the country, as is the question of which tort causes of actions may be available to plaintiffs in this circumstance. Tort law involving animals, especially in cases of harm to companion animals, offers students a firsthand look at how courts approach their role in keeping the common law up-to-date with changing societal views and their rationales for doing so, or for holding firm to past precedents and deferring to state legislatures for such change. While this balancing may come up in various contexts within tort law, it is especially central to tort cases involving harms done to animals.