What is required to establish a claim for negligence?

To establish a claim for negligence, it is essential to demonstrate four key elements: duty, breach, causation, and injury.

Duty refers to the legal obligation one party has to reasonably foresee the potential impact of their actions on others. Breach occurs when there is a failure to meet that duty, meaning the party acted in a way that a reasonable person would not. Causation connects the breach of duty to the actual harm suffered by the plaintiff, showing that the breach directly resulted in the injury. Finally, injury must be shown to prove that the plaintiff suffered actual harm or damage as a result of the defendant’s actions.

This framework is fundamental in negligence cases as it allows the court to assess whether the defendant's conduct fell short of the standards expected and if it was responsible for the plaintiff's damages. Other options, such as intent to cause harm, witnesses, or a criminal conviction, do not pertain to the foundational elements needed to establish a negligence claim. Negligence is principally concerned with unintentional harm rather than intentional wrongdoing, and the presence of witnesses or prior convictions does not inherently establish the legal requirements for a negligence claim.