Res ipsa loquitur is a legal doctrine that states that the cause of negligence is obvious.

Res ipsa loquitur is a legal doctrine that states that the cause of negligence is obvious.

• A. Respondeat superior
• B. Res ipsa loquitur
• C. Gross negligence
• D. Unintentional misconduct

Answer: (B)

Res ipsa loquitur means “the thing speaks for itself.” It’s used when an injury results from an instrumentality that was under the defendant’s exclusive control, and the injury would not ordinarily occur in the absence of negligence, with the plaintiff having had no contributory fault. Under these conditions, negligence can be inferred from the very occurrence, so the event itself suggests a negligent cause even if the exact act isn’t proven. That’s why this choice best matches the statement: the doctrine allows a presumption of negligence because the accident’s nature implies carelessness. The other terms describe different legal ideas—one about an employer’s liability for employees, another about a very high degree of negligence, and another about misconduct that isn’t intentional but doesn’t invoke this specific inference.

Res ipsa loquitur means “the thing speaks for itself.” It’s used when an injury results from an instrumentality that was under the defendant’s exclusive control, and the injury would not ordinarily occur in the absence of negligence, with the plaintiff having had no contributory fault. Under these conditions, negligence can be inferred from the very occurrence, so the event itself suggests a negligent cause even if the exact act isn’t proven. That’s why this choice best matches the statement: the doctrine allows a presumption of negligence because the accident’s nature implies carelessness. The other terms describe different legal ideas—one about an employer’s liability for employees, another about a very high degree of negligence, and another about misconduct that isn’t intentional but doesn’t invoke this specific inference.