Define tort.

Define tort.

• A. A criminal act resulting in injury to the person or property of another in violation of a duty.
• B. A civil wrong that involves the breach of contract.
• C. A civil wrong, other than a breach of contract, in which the action of one person causes injury to the person or property of another in violation of a legal duty imposed by law.
• D. A legal duty imposed by law that always results in damages.

Answer: (C)

Torts are civil wrongs that arise from a breach of a duty the law recognizes to protect people and their property. The obligation comes from law, not from a contract. When that legal duty is violated and someone is harmed as a result, the harmed party may seek civil remedies such as damages. The defining elements are a legal duty owed, a breach of that duty, causation, and damages. This definition matches the idea that a tort is a civil wrong, not a breach of contract, where one person’s action violates a legal duty and causes injury to another’s person or property. The other descriptions don’t fit as well: a criminal act covers criminal liability, not civil tort liability; a contract breach is not a tort; and saying the duty always results in damages is too strong— remedies can include nominal damages or other relief, and not every tort claim requires actual damages.

Torts are civil wrongs that arise from a breach of a duty the law recognizes to protect people and their property. The obligation comes from law, not from a contract. When that legal duty is violated and someone is harmed as a result, the harmed party may seek civil remedies such as damages. The defining elements are a legal duty owed, a breach of that duty, causation, and damages.

This definition matches the idea that a tort is a civil wrong, not a breach of contract, where one person’s action violates a legal duty and causes injury to another’s person or property. The other descriptions don’t fit as well: a criminal act covers criminal liability, not civil tort liability; a contract breach is not a tort; and saying the duty always results in damages is too strong— remedies can include nominal damages or other relief, and not every tort claim requires actual damages.