Latin for "the thing speaks for itself."

What are examples of res ipsa loquitur?

Various examples of res ipsa loquitur include the following: a piano falling from a window and landing on an individual, a barrel falling from a skyscraper and harming someone below, a sponge is left inside a patient following surgery or the carcass of an animal is discovered inside a food can.

What is res ipsa loquitur and when does it apply?

Legal Definition of res ipsa loquitur

The doctrine has traditionally required that a defendant have exclusive control over the instrumentality of an injury, but now it is commonly applied when multiple defendants have joint or sometimes successive control (as by the manufacturer and retailer of a defective product).