Which of the following factors is NOT a part of the four factors of negligence?

Negligence is a legal concept that involves a failure to take proper care in doing something, which results in damage or injury to another person. The four key elements that must be established to prove negligence are duty, breach of duty, causation (which includes both actual cause and proximate cause), and damages.

In this context, intent is not one of the four factors of negligence. Negligence is concerned with the failure to act as a reasonably prudent person would under similar circumstances, rather than with the individual’s intent to cause harm. Therefore, the absence of intent as a necessary factor underscores that negligence can occur without deliberate wrongdoing or malicious intent.

Duty refers to the legal obligation to act with care toward others, while breach of duty involves failing to meet that obligation. Proximate cause links the breach of duty to the harm suffered, establishing a direct relationship between the negligent act and the resulting injury.

Recognizing intent as separate from these critical components helps clarify the distinction between negligence and intentional torts, where intent plays a crucial role.