Logical Reasoning

PT109 · S4 · Q7 Currently, the city of Grimchester

A free, expert breakdown of this official LSAT Logical Reasoning question.

  • Save & drill this skill — build targeted practice sets from questions like this one

  • Video walkthroughs — watch every question solved step by step

  • 81 official LSATs — as questions, timed sections & full-length tests

Start practicing free

Currently, the city of Grimchester is liable for any injury incurred because of a city sidewalk in need of repair or maintenance.

The Now = (currently)

Injury incurred because Grimchester sidewalk needs repair → is liable or maintenance

The Should

Didn't know about should not danger beforehand → be liable or Didn't negligently fail to fix it

Evaluate

Since this unusual question stem wants something where Grimchester would currently be liable but shouldn't be, we need a situation where an injury occurs because a sidewalk needs repair/maintenance (currently liable) but Grimchester doesn't know about the danger beforehand or isn't negligent in trying to fix it (shouldn't be liable).

It seems like the middle sentence is teasing us with a hint: there are so many sidewalks that it's impossible to hire enough people to locate and eliminate every potential sidewalk danger.

Goal

We want a situation where someone gets injured on a Grimchester sidewalk, but they either didn't know about it yet or weren't able to get people there in time to fix it (not because of negligence, but just because they're spread too thin with resources).

7.

Which one of the following describes an injury for which the city of Grimchester is now liable, but should not be according to the principle cited above?

  1. A person is injured after

    Fails "shouldn't be liable"

    This is something G would currently be liable for. But we can't say that they shouldn't be liable for this. Since they've been repeatedly informed, we won't be able to trigger the idea of "if they didn't know about it, they shouldn't be liable".

    16% picked this

  2. A person is injured after

    Fails "is liable"

    Being injured by a shopping bag lying in the sidewalk is not something the city would be presently liable for, because the injury didn't come because a sidewalk needed repairs or maintenance.

    8% picked this

  3. Correct

    A person is injured after

    Why this is right

    Because the injury came from a hole in a city sidewalk, Grimchester is presently liable for this. But because they didn't have time to repair it (they only learned of it minutes before), we can't say that the city was negligent in failing to eliminate the danger. If they weren't negligent, then they shouldn't be liable.

    Skill tested: Must be True · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

    70% picked this

  4. A person who is heavily

    Fails "is liable"

    Being injured because you stumble over drunk is not something the city would be presently liable for, because the injury didn't come because a sidewalk needed repairs or maintenance.

    5% picked this

  5. A person riding a bicycle

    Fails "is liable"

    Being injured because you swerved to miss a pedestrian, is not something the city would be presently liable for, because the injury didn't come because a sidewalk needed repairs or maintenance.

    1% picked this

Continue the review in LSAT Lab

Save this question, watch the video walkthrough, and drill similar questions in your LSAT Lab account.

Save and practice this skill
LSAT Lab

Turn this review into a targeted study plan.

Save this question, drill more like it, watch the video walkthrough, and track your progress in your LSAT Lab account.

Start practicing free