Due Care Legal Meaning and Definition

Here is a simplified definition of the legal term Due Care.

Due Care (noun)

Due Care refers to the level of judgement, caution, prudence, or attentiveness that a reasonable person, under similar circumstances, would exercise to avoid harm to other people or their property. It's a standard used in negligence cases to decide if a person's actions were legally adequate or inadequate. It is the care that a cautious person would use to prevent injury or damage. If due care is exercised, it can potentially prevent a claim of negligence. It's ultimately decided upon by a jury what a "reasonable" person would have done in a similar situation.