tort

A tort is a civil wrong, other than a breach of contract, for which the law provides a remedy, typically monetary damages. Tort law aims to compensate victims for harm and to deter wrongful conduct. While the term originated in common law, many jurisdictions have similar regimes that address harm through delict, quasi-delict, or similar concepts.

Most tort actions require showing four elements: a duty of care owed by the defendant to the plaintiff, a breach of that duty, causation linking the breach to the injury, and damages suffered by the plaintiff. Torts are often categorized as intentional torts (where the wrongdoer intends the harm or acts with substantial certainty of it), negligence (breach of a standard of care causing harm), and strict or absolute liability (liability without proof of fault).

Common examples include intentional torts such as assault, battery, false imprisonment, trespass, and intentional infliction of emotional distress; negligence such as car collisions, medical malpractice, and slip-and-fall injuries; product liability; defamation; nuisance; and invasion of privacy. Remedies typically consist of monetary damages; in some cases courts may issue injunctions, restitutions, or specific performance.

Defenses include contributory or comparative negligence, assumption of risk, consent, privilege, and legal defenses such as absence of duty or causation. In many systems, torts can give rise to vicarious liability (an employer for employee acts) and to doctrines like res ipsa loquitur. Policy debates around tort reform address damages caps, joint and several liability, and the availability of punitive damages.