Legal Dictionary of Pakistan

special-duty doctrine

Torts. The rule that a governmental entity (such as a state or municipality) can be held liable for an individual plaintiff's injury when the entity owed a duty to the plaintiff but not to the general public. This is an exception to the public-duty doctrine. The special-duty doctrine applies only when the plaintiff has reasonably relied on the governmental entity's assumption of the duty. - Also termed special-duty exception. See PUBLIC-DUTY DOCTRINE.