What constitutes a "breach" of duty?

A breach of duty occurs when an individual or entity fails to meet the expected standard of care that a reasonably prudent person would observe in similar circumstances. This standard of care is often determined by the context of the situation and is meant to protect individuals from foreseeable harm. If someone does not act as a reasonable person would, and this failure leads to harm or injury to another person, then a breach of duty has occurred.

In the context of tort law, option B accurately captures this concept by stating that breaching the duty means failing to adhere to the expected standard of care. The law requires individuals to conduct themselves in a way that does not pose an unreasonable risk of harm to others, and breaching this duty can lead to liability for the resulting damages.

The other choices do not reflect the legal concept of a breach of duty as accurately. Adhering to legal standards effectively signifies compliance rather than breach, acting with malicious intent pertains more to intentional torts which involves different legal principles, and fulfilling safety regulations refers to compliance with specific legal standards but does not determine whether the standard of care has been met in each unique situation.