In a legal context, how is negligence defined?

Negligence is defined as the failure to exercise reasonable care, which ultimately leads to harm or injury to another individual. This principle is a fundamental aspect of tort law, which deals with civil wrongs and damages. In a negligence claim, the focus is on whether the defendant acted with the level of care that a reasonably prudent person would have under similar circumstances. If it is determined that the defendant did not meet this standard and their actions (or lack thereof) directly caused harm, they can be held liable for damages.

The essence of negligence lies in the idea of foreseeability and duty of care; if one fails to act as a careful person would, and this failure causes injury to someone else, that person may have a valid claim. This standard is crucial in legal cases involving personal injury, professional malpractice, and other similar contexts. By contrast, the other choices relate to different legal concepts, such as intentional harm, law enforcement, and evidence handling, which do not encompass the definition of negligence.