Tort in a Contractual Matrix
![handle is hein.journals/ohlj33 and id is 669 raw text is: TORT IN A CONTRACTUAL MATRIX©
By JOHN G. FLEMING*
This article addresses one aspect of the interface
between tort and contract: the way tort law is affected,
whether by extending or contracting its reach, by the
parties coming together against a contractual structure.
Two basic situations are considered. The first concerns
the effect of a contractual limitation clause on the tort
liability of, or to, a third party such as a subcontractor's
to the building owner. The second considers what
effect to attribute to a plaintiff's failure to protect
himself or herself in advance by contracting against the
risk
Cet article aborde un aspect de l'interaction entre la loi
des ddlits et celle du contrat: la fagon dont la loi des
d6lits est influenc6e, soit en 6largissant ou en
contraignant sa portee, par la rencontre des parties
dans le contexte d'une structure contractuelle. Deux
situations fondamentales sont consid6rdes. En premier
lieu, il s'agit de l'effet d'une clause contractuelle
limitative sur Ia responsabilit6 de, ou A, un tiers, tel que
la responsabilit6 d'un sous-contractant au propri~taire
de l'Edifice. Deuxi~mement, nous considdrons quel
effet attribuer A l'6chec du plaignant de se protdger en
avance en contractant contre le risque.
I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................ 661
II. LIMITATION CLAUSES ...................................................... 663
III. DEFENSIVE CONTRACTS ................................................... 670
IV. CONCLUSION .............................................................. 676
I. INTRODUCTION
Contract and tort intersect in different contexts, occasioning
problems that do not yield to any simple and uniform solution. Often,
the question is whether any perceived gap in contractual doctrine, such
as the insistence on privity or consideration, should be filled by a tort
remedy.1 I propose to address a very different question: the way in
© 1996, J.G. Fleming.
* Professor of Law, Emeritus, Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California at Berkeley.
This paper is based on a lecture delivered at Osgoode Hall Law School of York University on 11
February 1995.
1 Thus the disappointed legatee is not germane to my present remit; nor are the black
hole problems such as Leigh & Sillavan Ltd v. Aliakmon Shipping Co., [1986] A.C. 785 (H.L.)
[hereinafter TheAliakmon], rev'g [1985] Q.B. 350 (C.A.); TheAlbazero, [1977] A.C. 774 (H.L.); and](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.journals/ohlj33&div=30&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)
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Tort in a Contractual Matrix
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