What does the term "negligence" generally refer to?

Negligence is fundamentally understood as the failure to exercise reasonable care, which can lead to harm or injury to another person. This concept is a cornerstone of tort law, where individuals are held legally responsible for their actions (or lack thereof) that result in unintentional harm. The essence of negligence lies in the idea that every person has a duty to act with a certain level of caution and foresight to prevent causing harm to others. When someone fails in this duty, they may be deemed negligent and thus liable for any resulting damages.

In many legal cases involving negligence, the courts evaluate whether the individual acted as a "reasonable person" would have in similar circumstances. This standard helps determine if the accused party acted carelessly or unreasonably, which directly correlates to the definition of negligence.

The other concepts presented, such as intentional infliction of harm and deliberate misconduct, are associated with intentional torts and do not involve unintentional actions that lead to harm, which is the focus of negligence. Injuries resulting from natural disasters are typically not attributed to negligence because they are beyond human control and do not stem from a failure of reasonable care by any person.