Res ipsa loquitur

“Res ipsa loquitur” is a Latin legal term that means “the thing speaks for itself.” It is a doctrine used in tort law to deduce negligence from the very nature of an accident or injury, without direct evidence of negligence. This doctrine applies when an event is of a type that does not usually occur without negligence, and the defendant is in control of the situation that caused the harm. In such cases, the burden of proof shifts to the defendant to prove they were not negligent.