Patrick borrowed his friend John’s car to impress a young lady he was dating. It was a new luxury car that John had saved four y
ears to purchase. The paint on the car turned colors under various climatic and light conditions. While on the date, Patrick drove the car down a public road that had just been repaved with hot oil and gravel. The result was streaks of hot oil glued to the sides of the car and several nicks in the paint from flying rocks. Patrick then parked in front of his favorite restaurant, a sports pub on the far side of town. While in the restaurant, Patrick heard a special weather report that a thunderstorm with large hail was sweeping across the area and would arrive over the restaurant in ten minutes. Unfortunately for John’s car, the date was going too well to break off and move the car under cover. Consequently, the hail left a multitude of pock marks on the top of the car. Is Patrick legally responsible for the damage done by the gravel, oil, and hail? Why or why not?
Patrick <em>would</em> be liable for negligence in <em>allowing</em> the hail damage, as he <em>failed</em> to fulfill his duty of taking reasonable care of the vehicle.
However, he would<em> not</em> be responsible for the hot oil and gravel nicks.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the Dred Scott decision that Congress had exceeded its authority in the Missouri Compromise because it had no power to forbid or abolish slavery in the territories west of Missouri and north of latitude 36°30′.
