tort-feasor

law

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July 14, 2026

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In law, a tort is a wrongful act, independent of a contract, that causes harm to another person. The term "tort" comes from the Latin word "tortum," meaning "twisted" or "crooked," reflecting the idea of a wrong or injustice. Torts can encompass a wide range of harmful behaviors, including physical attacks, interference with property, damage to economic interests, and harm to reputation or privacy.12

When a tort occurs, the party who committed the wrongful act is known as the tort-feasor. If found liable, the tort-feasor is typically required to pay damages, which is a sum of money awarded to the injured party as compensation. Historically, tort law aimed to punish wrongdoers, deter future misconduct, and compensate victims. Modern tort law also emphasizes the efficient spreading of the costs of accidents, often through insurance, which allows victims to be compensated without financially ruining the tort-feasor.23

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tort
Loss spreading
…from the victim to the tortfeasor. For a long time the only plausible excuse for such a shift was deemed to be the tortfeasor’s fault. Certainly it seemed right to make wrongdoers pay. The corollary, that he who is not at fault need not pay, also appealed to 19th-century judges…
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…from the victim to the tortfeasor. For a long time the only plausible excuse for such a shift was deemed to be the tortfeasor’s fault. Certainly it seemed right to make wrongdoers pay. The corollary, that he who is not at fault need not pay, also appealed to 19th-century judges…
Read More