Werner Owns a Number of Animals That Live in and Around

question 27

Multiple Choice

Werner owns a number of animals that live in and around his home. Because Werner's house is located in a secluded area, he has little interaction with people outside of his immediate family. He consequently had never received any complaints about his animals until recently. That complaint has come in the form of a tort action by Madonna, who claims that she was wrongfully hurt by one of Werner's animals. The evidence establishes that she was bitten by the animal as she knocked on Werner's door with the intention of asking him to donate to a charity. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

• A) Under the traditional common law rules, Werner may be relieved of liability if the animal that bit Madonna was a pet dog who had never before bitten anyone.
• B) Under the traditional common law rules, the owner of an animal may be held liable for any damage caused by the animal only if that owner intentionally or carelessly created the situation that resulted in the damage.
• C) There are no defences to a strict liability tort.
• D) Under the traditional common law rules, if the animal that bit Madonna was a wild wolverine, Werner could be held liable only if he knew that the animal was dangerous.
• E) Strict liability is a type of vicarious liability.

---

Definitions:

Verbal Code

A symbolic system used in the representation and communication of messages that can be spoken, written, or signed.

Visual Image

A visual image is a mental representation or picture created by the brain that can be recalled or imagined without the presence of the physical object.

Perceptual Equivalence

The phenomenon where different stimuli are perceived as equivalent or similar, based on subjective or perceptual criteria.

Visual Systems

Visual systems encompass the biological and neurological mechanisms that allow organisms to process visual information from their environment, including the eyes and parts of the brain involved in vision.