Duty Of Care Legal Meaning and Definition

Here is a simplified definition of the legal term Duty Of Care.

Duty of Care (noun):

A legal obligation that requires individuals to act with caution and prudence, where their actions directly impact others. A person's actions should be measured against those of a 'reasonable' person under same circumstances. If a person fails to perform this duty in a way that an attentive and thoughtful individual would, it could be deemed 'negligent'. Should these negligent actions cause harm, legal repercussions may follow, often in the form of a lawsuit.