What is a Tort?

What is a Tort?

• A. A civil wrong
• B. A criminal act
• C. An administrative error
• D. A contractual dispute

Answer: (A)

A tort is a civil wrong that the law allows a private party to sue for in civil court. It involves harm or loss caused by one person’s actions or failures to act, with the typical remedy being damages or an injunction. Torts sit in civil law, not criminal law, so they lead to civil liability rather than punishment by the state. This differs from an administrative error, which is a mistake in government processes, and from a contractual dispute, which arises from a breach of contract and is governed by contract law. The essence is that a tort is a civil wrong deserving a civil remedy.

A tort is a civil wrong that the law allows a private party to sue for in civil court. It involves harm or loss caused by one person’s actions or failures to act, with the typical remedy being damages or an injunction. Torts sit in civil law, not criminal law, so they lead to civil liability rather than punishment by the state. This differs from an administrative error, which is a mistake in government processes, and from a contractual dispute, which arises from a breach of contract and is governed by contract law. The essence is that a tort is a civil wrong deserving a civil remedy.