crumbling skull rule

noun

A common-law rule according to which a defendant is not liable for the plaintiff's conditions or injuries that predate the tort, except to the degree that the tort worsened or hastened that injury or condition.

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Meanings

nouncrumbling skull rule (plural crumbling skull rules)

plural crumbling skull rules

  1. lawA common-law rule according to which a defendant is not liable for the plaintiff's conditions or injuries that predate the tort, except to the degree that the tort worsened or hastened that injury or condition.
Cite this entry
APA

crumbling skull rule. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crumbling%20skull%20rule

MLA

“crumbling skull rule.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crumbling%20skull%20rule. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “crumbling skull rule,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crumbling%20skull%20rule.

Source: crumbling skull rule on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.