Legal dictionary
Res ipsa loquitur
Latin phrase meaning ‘the facts speak for themselves’. It is a doctrine that infers negligence from the very nature of an accident or other outcomes, even without any direct evidence as to how the defendant behaved. Usually, in accident cases, it is necessary to prove the elements of negligence, namely, the duty of care, breach of that duty, causation and injury. Where res ipsa loquitur applies, the duty of care, breach and causation are inferred.
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