Institute:Office of National Coordinator (ONC) Workforce Training Curriculum
Component:Introduction to Health Care and Public Health in the U.S.
Unit:Regulating Health Care
Lecture:Branches of Government and the Configuration of the U.S. Judicial System
Slide content:Tort Law Intentional torts Battery Defamation Negligence Does not act with a reasonable amount of care As a result, someone is injured 16
Slide notes:The two major subgroups of tort law are intentional torts and negligence. An intentional tort occurs when someone deliberately causes harm to another person. There are many kinds of intentional torts. For example, if a man becomes angry at someone, punches that person in the face, and breaks that persons nose, the man commits an intentional tort called battery. If a woman falsely tells others in her workplace that a coworker has committed fraud, she commits an intentional tort known as defamation . Of course, people can be harmed when no harm was intended. Sometimes things just happen and no one is to blame. On the other hand, if someone acts carelessly or unreasonably and someone else is harmed as a result, a court may find the person responsible even though he or she did not mean to harm anyone. Legally, this is called negligence. 16