The Grey Zones of Tortious Liability – The Area of Possible Application of the Fault-Based Liability Rule and Strict Liability Rule for Damages

Rad se bavi pitanjem granice područja moguće primjene pravila o odgovornosti na temelju krivnje i objektivne odgovornosti za štetu u hrvatskom i poredbenom pravu. Razvoj odštetnog prava doveo je do toga da je ta granica u praksi postala sve manje jasna i vidljiva. Stroga odgovornost na temelju presumirane krivnje u nekim se područjima odgovornosti približila objektivnoj, čemu je u poredbenom pravu poseban doprinos dala sudska praksa. S druge strane, posebni slučajevi objektivne odgovornosti priznaju različite vrste i broj egzoneracijskih razloga, pa su neki od njih po svojoj "strogoći" relativno blagi. Hrvatsko pravo, zbog prepuštanja sudskoj praksi da u svakom konkretnom slučaju odlučuje koje su stvari i djelatnosti opasne, a koje to nisu, ima zakonom priznato područje odgovornosti u kojem pitanje primjene subjektivne ili objektivne odgovornosti za štetu ostaje trajno otvoreno.The article deals with the issue concerning the limits of area of possible application of the fault-based liability rule and strict liability rule for damages in Croatian and comparative law. The development of Law of Damages has led to a situation in which these limits become less and less clear and visible in practice. In certain areas of liability the liability according to presumed guilt moved toward the objective liability, wherein a special contribution has been given by court practice in comparative law. On the other hand, special cases of objective liability acknowledge different types and number of exonerative reasons, and consequently, some of them are relatively mild in regards to their “severity”. Croatian law, due to the fact that court practice decides in every individual case which objects and activities should be considered as dangerous and which should not, has a liability area recognized by the law in which the issue concerning the application of subjective or objective liability for damage is permanently under discussion