Posted on August 19, 2009 by Bryan Fears

What is a tort?

When you research the law of Texas personal injury lawsuits, you will often come across the word “tort.”  Torts are a branch of civil law, which is the area of the law that gives individuals the right to bring a lawsuit against a party that has harmed them in some way. Specifically, a tort is a harmful act committed by an individual that injures another person. Committing a tort leaves you open to a lawsuit for damages. Torts are most often associated with personal injury law.

 

A person who commits a tort is sometimes referred to as a “tortfeasor.” If this person is found to have committed a tort, then they will have to pay the victim compensation for the injuries they suffered as a result of the tortfeasor’s wrongdoing.

 

A tort can be either intentional or unintentional. Harming another person because of negligent behavior is an unintentional tort. For example, a person could be considered negligent if they cause a car accident because they were talking on their cellphone and weren’t paying attention to the vehicles around them. The driver did not mean to hurt anyone, but they hurt someone nonetheless and they are now responsible for their victim’s injuries.

 

An intentional tort, by contrast, occurs when a person intentionally and willfully sets out to cause harm to another person, such as in a case of assault and battery.

 

If you have been injured in an accident, you may be the victim of a tort. Contact Fears | Nachawati today for free legal advice on whether you may have grounds for bringing a personal injury lawsuit. For free legal assistance from one of our Texas personal injury lawyers, email us at info@fnlawfirm.com or call us on our toll-free number at 1.866.705.7584 for a free consultation.

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,