美国侵权法中的纯粹经济损失解读

On Pure Economic Loss in the American Tort Law

纯粹经济损失问题是美国侵权法领域的热点问题之一,它的解决主要依据一般过失侵权规则和经济损失规则两种方法。作为占主导地位的规则,经济损失规则源于法院对缺陷产品引起纯粹经济损失案件的判决,现在已经广泛适用于一般过失侵权领域。经济损失规则的理论依据主要包括维持侵权法与合同法的界限、合同优先理论、"诉讼洪闸"理论和社会成本理论。经济损失规则在服务合同、过失误述等特殊情况下的适用例外,在不同的州得到不同程度的承认。总体而言,美国侵权法在纯粹经济损失问题上达成了尚不稳定的一致,相关的判例及学说仍在不断发展之中。

As one of the popular topics in American tort law,pure economic loss is resolved by rules on general negligence and those on economic loss and the latter are presiding rules stemmed from case judgments of pure economic loss caused by defective products and now are per se rules applied in general negligence of tort. The economic loss rule is justified by maintaining the distinction between tort law and contract law,the primacy of contracts,the ＂floodgate theory＂ and the theory of social cost. Exceptions of the economic loss rule are applied in particular situations such as service contracts,negligent misrepresentations,which have been recognized to a different extent in different states. However,there has been an unstable consensus on pure economic loss in American tort law,while related cases and theories are still in developing process.