How is negligence defined?

Negligence is defined as a breach of legal duty that results in injury to another person. This definition captures the essential elements of negligence, which include the existence of a duty of care owed by one party to another, a breach of that duty, and a direct causal connection between the breach and the injury that occurs.

In tort law, negligence does not require intent to cause harm; instead, it focuses on the failure to act with the level of care that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in similar circumstances. This means that if someone fails to take appropriate precautions, such as a driver who fails to obey traffic laws and causes an accident, that would constitute negligence if it leads to injury.

In contrast to this definition, the other options address different legal concepts. For instance, a crime involving physical harm implies intentional wrongdoing, a civil dispute over property pertains to issues of ownership or rights, and an intentional act of harm indicates a deliberate action that inflicts injury, which falls under tort actions but does not describe negligence. Understanding these distinctions clarifies why the accurate definition of negligence revolves around the breach of a legal duty leading to injury.