Question

Tort liability meaning

Answer 1

Tort liability refers to the legal responsibility of an individual or organization to compensate another party for harm or injury caused by their actions or omissions. A tort is a civil wrong, outside of contractual obligations, that results in harm or loss to another person.

There are three primary categories of torts:

1. **Intentional Torts**: These occur when a person deliberately causes harm to another individual. Examples include assault, battery, fraud, and trespass.

2. **Negligent Torts**: These happen when someone fails to exercise reasonable care, resulting in unintentional harm to another person. Examples include car accidents caused by reckless driving or slip-and-fall injuries due to unsafe conditions.

3. **Strict Liability Torts**: In these cases, a party can be held liable for damages regardless of fault or intent. This often applies to inherently dangerous activities or defective products.

Tort liability is determined in civil courts, where the injured party (plaintiff) can seek damages, typically in the form of monetary compensation, from the party responsible for the harm (defendant). The aim is to make the injured party whole again and deter others from committing similar acts.