ABA Family Legal Guide

Personal Injury

Negligence

Negligence law seems so confusing. It uses words such as duty and causation. What do they mean?

Negligence law can be complex and confusing even for people who are familiar with it. To understand it better, forget all the legal jargon and go back to the car accident example. A driver has a duty to use reasonable care to avoid injuring anyone he or she meets on the road. If a driver fails to use reasonable care and as a result of that failure injures you, then the driver is responsible (liable) to you for those injuries.