San Mateo Tort Lawyers

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Litigation Lawyers in San Mateo

In San Mateo, California, a "tort" is defined as any civil wrong, besides breach of contract, for which the law provides a remedy.

In San Mateo, California, a tort is basically any bad thing that one person can do to another, which the law says the victim can sue over. This is called a "cause of action."

San Mateo, California's laws recognize many different torts. However, the civil litigation system only deals with a few of these dozens of torts with any frequency. While the most obscure torts are occasionally litigated, there are only a small amount that the average person is likely to deal with (either as a plaintiff or defendant) at some point in their lives. They include fraud, negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and battery.

Types of Torts in San Mateo, California

Negligence: This is by far the tort that is most commonly dealt with in the courts of San Mateo, California. Put simply, negligence is a failure to exercise a reasonable amount of care, and causing harm to someone as a result. For instance, driving 30 miles per hour over the speed limit is obviously very careless. So, if you are driving that fast, and your speed causes you to get into an accident that harms someone else (either their body or their property), you have committed negligence, and will be required to compensate the victim for the harm that you caused. You should know, however, that this is just an noticeable example, and there are a practically infinite number of situations in which a negligence lawsuit can arise.

Fraud: In San Mateo, California, fraud is a fairly frequent tort that the local court system has to deal with, though it may not be quite as frequent as negligence. To put it in the simplest terms possible, fraud is a deliberate lie that causes tangible harm (such as financial loss) to the person to whom the lie is told. Fraud is committed in a wide variety of contexts, but it most often occurs when someone is trying to sell a product for more than it's worth. They might lie to a prospective buyer about the product's quality or value. If the buyer relies on this misrepresentation when deciding to buy the product, they are the victim of fraud, and have a right to sue the seller for their financial losses, and possibly recover punitive damages.

Battery: The law in San Mateo, California defines battery as any harmful or offensive contact by one person, with the body of another person, without the consent of the victim. Any punch, kick, strike, or slap would clearly amount to battery, since it is harmful, unless it happens in a context where the person being battered consented to it (a lawful boxing match, for example). However, conduct that doesn't cause any physical harm, but is "offensive," can also be considered battery. This most often comes up when one person initiates unwanted sexual contact with another.

Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress: Intentional infliction of emotional distress, or IIED, is a relatively new tort in San Mateo, California. It is committed when someone deliberately causes emotional distress or trauma to another person by engaging in outrageous conduct, with the intent of causing such distress. Note that the defendant does not need to cause physical injuries to the plaintiff to be liable for IIED, but the plaintiff does have to produce evidence that they suffered emotional distress. This evidence normally comes in the form of a report from a psychiatrist who evaluated the plaintiff's mental condition.

How Can A San Mateo, California Tort Lawyer Help?

If you have been the victim of a tort in , California, you have the right to seek legal redress. And if you have been sued for a tort, you have a right to defend yourself.

In either case, a San Mateo, California attorney who is accomplished in handling tort cases will be able to help. Your lawyer can advise you on the best trial strategy, should the case go to trial, and negotiate with the other side, to try and reach a resolution that both parties can live with.

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Life in San Mateo

San Mateo, California is a city in San Mateo County. It has a population of about 100,000 people, making it one of the larger suburbs in the San Francisco Bay Area.

San Mateo was first settled by Europeans in 1789, when the Spanish established a missionary and military presence in the area now known as San Mateo.

Modernly, the economy of San Mateo, California is driven by education, local government, finance, and retail. The largest employer in San Mateo is the San Mateo County Community College District, which employs over 1,900 people, including several San Mateo, California lawyers.

If you live in San Mateo, California and are in need of legal assistance, it's very likely that there's a good San Mateo, California attorney who can help. Lawyers in San Mateo, California are able to handle a wide range of legal issues.

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