Res ipsa loquitur

Defined in 4 dictionaries — Case Law, Cyclopedic (1922), Ballentine's (1916), Black's (1910)

Definitions from Case Law

From 314 U.S. 104 - Commercial Molasses Corp. v. New York Tank Barge Corp. · 1941Most cited · 778 citing opinions

an aid to the plaintiff in sustaining the burden of proving breach of the duty of due care but does not avoid the requirement that upon the whole case he must prove the breach by the preponderance of evidence

Show all 7 Supreme Court definitions and how they changed over time 1912–1948

The Cyclopedic Law Dictionary

Walter A. Shumaker and George Foster Longsdorf; ed. James C. Cahill · 1922

The thing speaks for itself. A phrase used in actions for injury by negligence, where no proof of negligence is required beyond the accident itself, which is such as necessarily to involve negligence.

Ballentine's Law Dictionary

James A. Ballentine · 1916

The matter speaks for itself, a doctrine in the law of negligence that if an accident occurs while the thing is under the management of the defendant or his servants, it is incumbent on the defendant to explain matters to clear the imputation of negligence. See 12 S. D. 397, 48 L. R. A. 157, 81 N. W. 725.

Black's Law Dictionary

Henry Campbell Black, M.A. · 1910

The thing speaks for itself. A phrase used in actions for injury by negligence where no proof of negligence is required beyond the accident itself, which is such as necessarily to involve negligence: e. g., a collision between two trains upon a railway. Wharton. See Benedick v. Potts, 88 Md. 52, 40 Atl. 1067, 41 In R. A. 478; Grif-fen v. Manice, 166 N. Y. 188, 59 N. E. 925, 52 L. R. A. 922, 82 Am. St. Rep. 630; Excelsior Electric Co. v. Sweet, 57 N. J. Law, 224, 30 Atl. 553; Houston v. Brush, 66 Vt. 331, 29 Atl. 380; Scott v. London, etc., Docks Co., 3 Hurl. & C. 596.

Defined under Res in Black's Law Dictionary.