Tortious Liability Essay

3095 Words13 Pages
INTRODUCTION In their day to day lives and interactions, human beings commit wrongs that may cause harm to others whether intentionally or unintentionally as a result, they are made to compensate the injured party or individual who has suffered a loss or injury due to their conduct. These wrongs that human beings commit against each other on a daily basis are called torts. A tort is a private or civil wrong that is independent of a contract. This essay will with references to decided cases, critically discuss the foundation of tortious liability and the purpose of law of torts. NATURE OF A TORT The nature of a tort can best be understood by making a distinction between a tort and a crime. The main object of criminal proceedings is punishment, this means that if a person commits a crime they will be punished through imprisonment. Usually a crime is an offence against the general public or the state. Whereas the main object of proceedings in tort is not punishment but compensation to the plaintiff. A tort is committed against an individual or legal entity or company. When a person commits a tort they become liable for damages, damages are compensations usually paid in monetary terms by a person who commits a tort to a the injured person or party who have suffered harm or injury at the expense of an individual’s act or omission. The person who sustains injury or suffers pecuniary damage as the result of tortious conduct is known as the plaintiff, and the person who is responsible for inflicting the injury and incurs liability for the damage is known as the defendant or tortfeasor. ELEMENTS OF A TORT Tort is a remarkably wide-ranging subject and maybe the most difficult of all legal areas. The question is how we establish liability in in tort. Tort consists of an act or omission (failure to do something) by the defendant which causes damage to the plaintiff. The
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