How is negligence defined in tort law?

Negligence in tort law is defined as a failure to take reasonable care to avoid causing injury or harm to another person. This concept revolves around the idea that individuals and entities owe a duty of care to others and must act in a way that minimizes the risk of foreseeable harm. If a person does not meet the standard of care that is expected in a particular situation, resulting in injury or damage to another, they may be held liable for negligence.

The key elements in negligence cases typically include the existence of a duty of care, a breach of that duty, causation linking the breach to the harm, and actual damages resulting from the breach. In this context, the correct choice highlights the essence of negligence, which is about the lack of intention to cause harm but rather a failure to act as a reasonably prudent person would under similar circumstances.

In contrast, a deliberate act causing harm pertains to intentional torts, unintentional infliction of emotional distress addresses a specific form of negligence that involves emotional harm, and liability due to defective products involves product liability claims rather than the general principle of negligence. Each of these alternatives focuses on different aspects of tort law, not the core definition of negligence, making the selected answer the appropriate choice.