Negligence

Negligence refers to an actor unintentionally causing harm to another due to the actor's failure to meet the requirements of the applicable standard of care. The standard of care is what an ordinary, reasonable person would have done in that situation. If an actor is found to be negligent, then that actor (the defendant) is liable for any harm that negligence caused the plaintiff. To prove that the defendant was negligent, the plaintiff must show (1) that the defendant owed a duty of care to the plaintiff, (2) that the defendant failed to meet the requirements of that duty, (3) that the breach of the duty was the cause of the harm, and (4) that the plaintiff suffered damages. In some cases, the defendant may ...