Tort Definition: What It Means and How It Affects Your Legal Rights

When someone hurts you—physically, emotionally, or financially—through carelessness or intentional action, that’s a tort, a civil wrong that isn’t based on a contract but still creates legal responsibility. Also known as a civil wrong, it’s the legal foundation behind most personal injury claims, from slip-and-fall accidents to defamation. Unlike crimes, which the state punishes, torts are about making the victim whole again through money or other remedies. You don’t need to be charged with a crime to be held liable for a tort. If a driver runs a red light and crashes into your car, that’s not just a traffic violation—it’s a tort.

Torts come in three main types: negligence, failing to act with reasonable care that results in harm, intentional torts, deliberate actions meant to cause harm, like assault or fraud, and strict liability, holding someone responsible even without proof of fault, often for dangerous products or animals. You’ll see these in the posts below—cases where someone lost money, got injured, or had their reputation damaged because another person or company didn’t follow basic legal duties. For example, a restaurant serving spoiled food isn’t just bad service—it’s a tort under product liability. A neighbor spreading false rumors about you? That’s defamation, a classic intentional tort.

What makes tort law so practical is that it doesn’t require a contract or a criminal charge. It’s the law you turn to when someone messes up and you’re left with bills, pain, or lost time. You don’t need to be a lawyer to understand the basics: if someone’s actions caused you harm, and those actions were unreasonable or deliberate, you might have a tort claim. The posts here cover real situations—from medical errors to false advertising—where people used tort law to get justice. You’ll find guides on proving negligence, documenting injuries, and understanding how courts decide compensation. Whether you’re dealing with a car accident, a bad product, or a broken promise that cost you money, knowing the tort definition gives you the power to act.