最后避损机会原则 last-clear-chance doctrine

侵权行为法中的一项原则，它是指，即使原告存在与有过失〔contributory negligence〕，但是如果被告有防止损害结果发生的最后机会而未尽合理注意义务，致使损害发生的，则原告仍得请求赔偿损失(换言之，若被告的过失行为迟于原告的过失行为，原告仍得向被告求偿)。这一原则的实际意义在于，如果被告意识到原告所处的险情，或虽未意识但若施以合理的注意即可意识到的，则其在事实上就有最后的机会以避免损害事故的发生。例如：甲为一司机，乙为一行人，醉躺于道路中央。甲有充分的时间了望并实际看到了乙，但甲因疏于注意开车将乙压伤。在此例中，乙的行为构成与有过失，但对甲的责任而言并非必然关键，因为甲有最后的明确的机会，可以避免事故的发生。这一原则通常作为与有过失的抗辩，适用于那些认为与有过失构成原告请求损害赔偿之阻却事由的法域。亦作「discovered-peril doctrine; humanitarian doctrine; last-opportunity doctrine; subsequent-negligence doctrine; supervening-negligence doctrine」。

The last clear chance doctrine is an affirmative defense usually asserted by a defendant to attempt to defeat a negligence claim. This defense essentially provides that the plaintiff had the last opportunity to prevent the harm that occurred and therefore recovery should be barred or reduced. For instance, suppose a plaintiff was driving his car and the defendant ran a red light into his path. Suppose that the plaintiff avoided defendant’s vehicle but veered off the roadway into a tree. Further assume that there was a driveway that the plaintiff could have veered onto and avoided the tree altogether but did not. In this factual scenario, the defendant might claim that the plaintiff had the “last clear chance” to avoid the car accident by veering onto the driveway, and because he did not, then he should not recover against defendant.以下为相关例句，可供参考：

例句1

The last clear chance doctrine is used in tort law for cases involving negligence and is applied when both the plaintiff and defendant are responsible for an accident that resulted in harm. When applied in states with contributory negligence laws, it is often seen as a type of exception or limitation to those laws. The doctrine considers which party had the last opportunity to avoid the accident that caused the harm.

最后避损机会原则在侵权法中用于涉及过失的案件，并适用于原告和被告都对造成损害的事故负责的情况。当在有共同过失法的国家适用时，它通常被视为这些法律的一种例外或限制。该原则考虑哪一方有最后的机会避免造成伤害的事故。

例句2

The Georgia Court of Appeals held a jury could conclude the tractor trailer driver had the last opportunity to avoid the collision by braking and stopping at the red light and therefore the last clear chance doctrine could be raised by the plaintiff, the driver of the van.

佐治亚州上诉法院认为，陪审团可以得出结论，拖拉机拖车司机有最后的机会通过刹车和红灯停车来避免碰撞，因此原告（货车司机）可以提出最后避损机会原则。

例句3

A defendant can also use the last clear chance doctrine in a tort claim for negligence against the plaintiff. Here the defendant is not claiming the plaintiff was contributory negligent, but that the plaintiff had the last opportunity to avoid the harm sustained. If the defendant can successfully establish the plaintiff had the last clear chance to avoid injury to himself, the plaintiff, the defendant will not be held liable and the plaintiff will be barred from recovering.

被告也可以在针对原告的过失侵权索赔中使用最后避损机会原则。在这里，被告并不是声称原告是共同过失，而是原告有最后的机会来避免所遭受的伤害。如果被告能够成功地证明原告有最后明确的机会避免对自己造成伤害，原告、被告将不承担责任，且原告将被禁止追偿。