What is the Tort of Negligence?

• A. A legal wrong that is suffered by someone at the hands of another who fails to take proper care to avoid what a reasonable person would regard as a foreseeable risk
• B. A criminal act
• C. A breach of contract
• D. A violation of environmental regulation

Answer: (A)

Negligence in tort law means a civil wrong where someone owes a duty of care to others and fails to meet that standard, resulting in harm that a reasonable person would foresee. The statement captures this idea by describing a legal wrong suffered because proper care wasn’t taken to avoid a risk that a reasonable person would anticipate. When such a breach causes damage, the injured party can seek civil compensation. This differs from a criminal act (prosecuted by the state), a breach of contract (failure to perform contractual terms), or a violation of environmental regulation (breach of regulatory rules). For example, if a business owner doesn’t address a known wet floor and someone slips and is injured, that could be negligence if the risk was foreseeable and the owner failed to take appropriate steps.