Emotional Distress, Intentional Infliction –
[1] Elements and Case Citations
(1) Defendant’s conduct was intentional or reckless;
(2) Defendant’s conduct was outrageous;
(3) Defendant’s conduct caused emotional distress; and
(4) Plaintiff suffered severe emotional distress.
Defendants are also liable for physical harm resulting from severe emotional distress.
Metropolitan Life Ins. Co. v. McCarson, 467 So 2d 277, 278-279 (Fla. 1985).
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Florida State Courts
Supreme Court: Metropolitan Life Ins. Co. v. McCarson, 467 So. 2d 277,
278-279 (Fla. 1985)
First District: Johnson v. Thigpen, 788 So. 2d 410, 412 (Fla. 1st
DCA 2001)
Second District: Liberty Mut. Ins. Co. v. Steadman, 968 So. 2d 592, 594-95 (Fla. 2d DCA 2007)
Third District: De La Campa v. Grifols America, Inc., 819 So.2d 940, 943
(Fla. 3rd DCA 2002)
Fourth District: Brown v. Brown, 800 So. 2d 359, 362 (Fla. 4th DCA 2001)
Fifth District: Horizons Rehabilitation, Inc. v. Health Care and Retirement Corp., 810 So.2d 958, 964 (Fla. 5th DCA 2002)
Florida Federal Courts
Eleventh Circuit: Hart v. United States, 894 F.2d 1539, 1548 (11th Cir.
1990)
Southern District: Gillis v. Sports Authority, Inc., 123 F.Supp.2d 611, 616
(S.D. Fla. 2000)
Middle District: Reibsame v. Prince, 267 F. Supp. 2d 1225, 1238 (M.D. Fla. 2003)
References
Restatement (Second) of Torts § 46 (1965)
[2] Defenses to Claim for Intentional Infliction of Emotional
Distress
(1) Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.110(d) (pleading affirmative defenses), and other
standard defenses. See § 60.
(2) Statute of Limitations: § 95.11(3)(o), (p), Fla. Stat. (four years);
see Ross v. Twenty-Four Collection Inc., 617 So. 2d 428, 428 (Fla. 3d DCA 1993).
(3) The assertion of legal rights in a legally permissible manner constitutes
a privilege that precludes an action based on reckless or even outrageous conduct. See Canto v. J.B. Ivey and Co., 595 So. 2d 1025, 1028 (Fla.
1st DCA 1992).
(4) A successful defense of privilege to a defamation claim will also
preclude a claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress when the latter is premised on an allegedly defamatory publication. Fridovich v.
Fridovich, 598 So. 2d 65, 70 (Fla. 1992).
