For practical purposes, a tort occurs when
one person causes injury to another person
or to another’s property or reputation. The
injured party (plaintiff) can take the alleged
wrongdoer (defendant) to court. Tort law
provides the injured party with a remedy,
something to make up for what was lost . . .
usually in the form of money damages.
Tort law also establishes standards of care
that society expects from people. Most
simply put, the law requires us to act with
reasonable care toward people and their
property. Failure to exercise reasonable
care may result in legal liability.
Remember that a defendant’s unreasonable
behavior is called a wrongful act when it violates
his or her duty to others. A violation of one’s
duty occurs when a person:
•Does something he or she is not supposed to
do (eg—hits someone in the face).
•Fails to do something he or she is supposed to
do (eg—fails to shovel the snow from the
sidewalk in front of his or her house).
•Does something he or she should do, or is
allowed to do, but does it in a careless way that
endangers others (eg—drives a car above the
speed limit).