Legal Definitions - hulk

Definition: In England, a hulk is a dismantled ship that was used as a prison. The living conditions in hulks were very poor, and they were eventually stopped being used as prisons as part of the prison-reform movements in the mid-19th century.

Definition: The last-clear-chance doctrine is a rule in torts that allows a plaintiff who was contributorily negligent to still recover from the defendant if the defendant had the last opportunity to prevent the harm but failed to use reasonable care to do so. This means that if the defendant's negligence is later in time than the plaintiff's, the plaintiff can still recover damages.

For example, if a pedestrian is jaywalking and gets hit by a car, the pedestrian may be considered contributorily negligent. However, if the driver of the car had the last opportunity to avoid hitting the pedestrian but failed to do so, the last-clear-chance doctrine may allow the pedestrian to recover damages from the driver.