Res ipsa loquitur means "the thing speaks for itself" and it permits the jury to infer negligent conduct and causation from the mere occurrence of certain types of events.

Res Ipsa Loquitur

A legal doctrine that means "the thing speaks for itself," used in tort law to infer negligence from the very nature of an accident or injury in the absence of direct evidence on how any defendant behaved.

Negligent Conduct

A failure to act with the level of care that someone of ordinary prudence would have exercised under the same circumstances.

Causation

A principle in law and philosophy where a cause is linked to an effect; essential for establishing liability in tort cases.