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What is Tort Law?

Tort law is the domain of the law that deals with civil suits, except for contractual disputes. The law of wrongful injuries or wrongs committed against others causes harm or loss to a person. Tort law relieves injured parties, imposes liability on wrongdoers, and deters harmful acts. The aggrieved party is the complainant, and the wrongdoer is the defendant or tortfeasor. A tort is an act or exclusion that overruns a legal right or causes a detriment.

Tort law holds those found to be at fault for harming others accountable for their actions. Typical harms inclusive of loss of past or future income, payment for pain and suffering, and payment of medical expenses. Additional punitive damages may also be meant to punish the defendant over full compensation.

Understanding Tort Law

Tort law has been classified into three main categories: negligence tort, intentional torts, and strict liability tort. 

  • Negligence tort refers to the harm caused by the failure of another to act with a reasonable level of care, as expected in a given situation. For example, car accidents are often caused by negligence. 

  • Intentional torts are the harms that result from the deliberate wrongdoing of another, such as battery, fraud, and trespass. 

  • Strict liability tort differs from negligence and intentional torts because it does not depend on the fault or intention of the person who caused the harm. preferably, it focuses on the action itself. If someone or some entity does something that causes harm—for instance, producing a faulty product—they are liable for the damage, regardless of how careful or innocent they were.