Tort Law

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What is a tort? Many years ago, a law school professor told me that a tort is just about every wrongdoing that does not involve a breach of contract. That broad definition did not give me a clear picture of tort law, but I did understand that 1) tort law was pretty broad and 2) that breaches of contract were not torts. One definition of "tort" listed in Black's Law Dictionary is "a legal wrong committed upon the person or property independent of contract" (Black's 6th ed.). This definition is simply a spin on the definition provided by my professor.

The simplest way to describe a tort is to provide examples.

Here is a partial list of torts:
Assault, Battery, False Imprisonment, Infliction of Emotional Distress, Trespass, Wrongful Discharge from Employment, Libel, Slander, and Negligence.

Negligence is by far the most commonly litigated tort. Negligence encompasses everything from running a stop sign and causing injury to legal and medical malpractice.