Also known as: admonish · admonishes · admonished · admonishing · admonishments · admonition · admonitions · reprimand · warning
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
A formal warning or reprimand issued by a court or other authority to deter misconduct or ensure compliance with legal standards. It functions as a sanction or directive that places the recipient on notice of improper conduct without necessarily imposing harsher penalties.
Atlas Ventures repaired a loading dock after Anita Ali fell and broke her wrist. At trial Atlas offered the repair evidence only to show it controlled the dock. The judge admitted the evidence for that limited purpose but admonished the jury not to consider the repairs as proof of negligence.
Adam Anderson operated heavy machinery near a path where he knew children sometimes crossed. After spotting Anthony Arnold approaching the equipment, Anderson stopped operations and gave a clear verbal admonishment to stay away. The warning satisfied the duty to protect those in dangerous proximity.
Select any source to read its text and confirm it supports the definition.
Andre Antoine agreed to drive the getaway car for a planned robbery. Before the offense began he called police and reported the plot. His timely warning to law enforcement constituted proper renunciation and shielded him from accomplice liability.
A medical device maker sent updated risk information only to prescribing physicians. When a patient suffered complications the court held the manufacturer had fulfilled its duty by warning the doctors. The patient could not recover because the learned intermediary doctrine applied.
Arcadia Retail learned that a third party had been causing disturbances in its store. Management posted signs and verbally admonished customers to avoid the affected area. The precautions satisfied the duty to protect visitors from known risks posed by third persons.
Abigail Alvarez met with counsel for an initial consultation about a potential claim. The lawyer evaluated the facts but failed to advise her of the filing deadline. The court held that the consultation created an attorney-client relationship and the lawyer could be liable for malpractice for omitting the warning.
The rule bars the evidence only when offered to prove negligence or a product defect. Courts may admit the same evidence for another purpose such as proving ownership, control, or feasibility of precautionary measures when those issues are disputed.
Yes. Duties including the duty of care can attach when the lawyer gives legal advice and the prospective client reasonably relies on it. Failure to warn about a statute of limitations during that consultation can support a malpractice claim.
The possessor must exercise reasonable care either to control the force or to give a warning that is reasonably adequate to enable the trespassers to protect themselves.
The duty runs to the prescribing physician rather than the patient. A plaintiff must show that an adequate warning to the physician would have changed the prescribing decision. Generalized awareness of risks is insufficient.
…reveals about man's attitudes toward the abortion procedure over the centuries. We bear in mind, too, Mr. Justice Holmes' admonition in his now-vindicated dissent in Lochner v. New York , 198 U. S. 45, 76 (1905): "[The Constitution] is made for people of fundamentally differing views, and the accident of our…