Which of the following is NOT typically an element of negligence?

• A. Intent to harm
• B. Duty of care
• C. Causation
• D. Damage

Answer: (A)

The key idea is what an act must show to be called negligence. Negligence is about failing to take reasonable care toward others, not about someone intending to harm them. To prove negligence you look for four things: a duty of care owed to the other person, a breach of that duty, a causal link showing the breach caused the harm, and actual damage or injury. None of this requires intent to harm.

So, why the other parts fit as elements: a duty of care is the obligation to act with reasonable care toward others; causation means the breach must actually cause the injury; damage is the harm that results and that you can compensate. Intent to harm isn’t part of the standard negligence test because you can be careless without intending any harm, and intentional harm is typically treated as a different kind of tort.