Opinion ID: 1671607
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Duty-Risk Analysis

Text: This negligence case is properly examined under the duty-risk analysis. [9] The determination of liability in a negligence case usually requires proof of five separate elements: (1) proof that the defendant had a duty to conform his conduct to a specific standard (the duty element); (2) proof that the defendant's conduct failed to conform to the appropriate standard (the breach element); (3) proof that the defendant's substandard conduct was a cause-in-fact of the plaintiff's injuries (the cause-in-fact element); (4) proof that the defendant's substandard conduct was a legal cause of the plaintiff's injuries (the scope of liability or scope of protection element); and (5) proof of actual damages (the damages element). David W. Robertson et al., Cases and Materials on Torts 83-84 (1989); Fowler v. Roberts, 556 So.2d 1 (La.1989)(on original hearing). Many cases presenting a duty-risk analysis do not adequately distinguish the duty element and the breach of duty element. In a proper duty-risk analysis, it is helpful to identify (1) the duty imposed upon the defendant by statute or rule of law and (2) the conduct by defendant that allegedly constituted a breach of that duty. In the present case, the duty of the DOTD was to design and provide a signal-controlled intersection that did not present an unreasonable risk of harm to motorists and pedestrians. The conduct by DOTD that allegedly constituted a breach of that duty was the failure to set the timing cycle of the signal so as to provide an adequate period of time for a pedestrian to cross the entire highway while the signal was red for highway vehicles.