Which scenario would invoke the doctrine of Res Ipsa Loquitur?

The doctrine of Res Ipsa Loquitur applies in situations where the circumstances of the incident imply that negligence has occurred, even without direct evidence of wrongdoing. This legal principle essentially means "the thing speaks for itself."

In the case of a patient being injured during surgery, it can be argued that such injuries typically do not happen in the absence of negligence, particularly when there is no indication that the injury resulted from an inherent risk of the surgery. The fact that the injury occurred in a controlled medical environment, where the healthcare providers are expected to uphold a standard of care, lends itself to the application of Res Ipsa Loquitur. The nature of surgical procedures necessitates that the medical staff follow specific protocols, and if a patient emerges with an unexpected injury, it reasonably leads to the inference that something went wrong due to negligence.

The other scenarios do not fit as neatly into the Res Ipsa Loquitur framework. The slip and fall incident lacks the clear causal relationship that typically would allow for a presumption of negligence; without witnesses or evidence, it can be challenging to determine what occurred. The rear-end collision suggests negligence, but it generally does not require the Res Ipsa Loquitur doctrine because the negligence can be directly observed (the