Res Ipsa Loquitur at Legal Glossary

What is it? A Latin term meaning the thing speaks for itself. Res ipsa loquitur is a legal doctrine or rule of evidence that creates a presumption that a defendant acted negligently simply because a harmful accident occurred. The presumption arises only if (1) the thing that caused the accident was under the defendants control, (2) the accident could happen only as a result of a careless act and, (3) the plaintiffs behavior did not contribute to the accident. Lawyers often refer to this doctrine as res ips or res ipsa.

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