A breach of duty of care that one individual has toward another is defined as what?

The correct answer, negligence, refers to a legal concept that arises when an individual fails to exercise the care that a reasonably prudent person would in similar circumstances, resulting in harm or injury to another individual. In the context of tort law, negligence is considered a type of tort, which is a wrongful act leading to civil legal liability. The fundamental elements of negligence include the existence of a duty of care, a breach of that duty, causation linking the breach to the harm caused, and damages sustained by the injured party.

In this situation, identifying that a breach of duty of care qualifies as negligence highlights the responsibility individuals and professionals, including those in the funeral service industry, have to ensure competent care and to act in a manner that does not put others at risk. Negligence is significant in funeral service education because it reinforces the ethical and legal obligations to provide proper and respectful care to those the professionals serve. Understanding this concept helps funeral service practitioners maintain standards that protect both themselves and the families they assist.