Opinion ID: 2543851
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Elements of Negligence Generally

Text: The elements of negligence are duty, breach, causation, and injury. Hartley v. State, 103 Wash.2d 768, 777, 698 P.2d 77 (1985). Since the Washington State Legislature waived sovereign immunity for municipalities in 1967, Laws of 1967, ch. 164, § 1, amended by Laws of 2001, ch. 119, § 1 (codified at RCW 4.96.010), [8] municipalities are generally held to the same negligence standards as private parties. Bodin v. City of Stanwood, 130 Wash.2d 726, 731, 927 P.2d 240 (1996). [9] A party may maintain an action against a municipality if a duty can be shown. Meaney v. Dodd, 111 Wash.2d 174, 179, 759 P.2d 455 (1988). The municipality, as an individual, is held to a general duty of care, that of a reasonable person under the circumstances. DAN B. DOBBS, THE LAW OF TORTS § 228, at 580 (2000). Whether a municipality owes a duty in a particular situation is a question of law, Hansen v. Friend, 118 Wash.2d 476, 479, 824 P.2d 483 (1992), and generally includes a determination of whether the incident that occurred was foreseeable. DOBBS, supra, § 229, at 582-83; King v. City of Seattle, 84 Wash.2d 239, 248, 525 P.2d 228 (1974) (holding that foreseeability of the risk of harm to the plaintiff is an element of the duty question); Berglund v. Spokane County, 4 Wash.2d 309, 321, 103 P.2d 355 (1940) (stating that whether county owed duty to negligent driver was one of foreseeability). In a negligence action, in determining whether a duty is owed to the plaintiff, a court must not only decide who owes the duty, but also to whom the duty is owed, and what is the nature of the duty owed. Wick v. Clark County, 86 Wash.App. 376, 385, 936 P.2d 1201 (1997) (Morgan, J., concurring). The answer to the second question defines the class protected by the duty and the answer to the third question defines the standard of care. Id. at 386, 936 P.2d 1201. The class protected generally includes anyone foreseeably harmed by the defendant's conduct regardless of that person's own fault. Friend, 118 Wash.2d at 484, 824 P.2d 483. Finally, the Legislature adopted the doctrine of comparative fault in 1981. Laws of 1981, ch. 27, § 8 (codified at RCW 4.22.005). RCW 4.22.005 states in part: In an action based on fault seeking to recover damages for injury or death to person or harm to property, any contributory fault chargeable to the claimant diminishes proportionately the amount awarded as compensatory damages for an injury attributable to the claimant's contributory fault, but does not bar recovery. We have previously held that the adoption of comparative fault did not create or enhance a defendant's prior common law duty. Hansen v. Wash. Natural Gas Co., 95 Wash.2d 773, 778, 632 P.2d 504 (1981). Rather, recovery is now permitted where it was previously denied after liability has been established. Id.