Legal Definitions - levis culpa

Levis culpa is a Latin term that translates to "slight fault" or "light fault." In legal contexts, it refers to ordinary negligence. This means a failure to exercise the degree of care that a reasonably prudent person would exercise under similar circumstances. It represents a minor deviation from the expected standard of care, falling short of gross negligence (a severe or reckless disregard for safety or duty).

Here are some examples to illustrate levis culpa:

• Example 1: The Dry Cleaner's Oversight
  A dry cleaner accidentally uses a slightly incorrect hanger for a delicate silk blouse, causing a minor, temporary crease that can be easily smoothed out at home. The blouse is not damaged, nor is its value diminished.

  How this illustrates levis culpa: The dry cleaner had a professional duty to care for the garment properly. While not intentional damage or gross neglect, using the wrong hanger for a delicate item constitutes a levis culpa because it is a minor oversight that a reasonably careful dry cleaner would typically avoid.

• Example 2: The Office Assistant's Typo
  An office assistant, while preparing a routine internal memo, accidentally misspells a non-critical word in a paragraph. The memo's meaning remains clear, and the error causes no confusion, delay, or harm to the company's operations.

  How this illustrates levis culpa: The assistant had a duty to produce accurate documents. The minor typographical error, even though it had no significant impact, is a levis culpa because it represents a slight lapse in attention to detail that a reasonably careful assistant would typically catch.

• Example 3: The Homeowner's Minor Hazard
  A homeowner is watering plants on their patio and briefly leaves a garden hose stretched across a less-used pathway. Before anyone walks by, they remember and move the hose, so no one trips or is injured.

  How this illustrates levis culpa: The homeowner had a duty to maintain a safe environment for anyone on their property. Temporarily leaving a hose in a pathway, even if quickly rectified and without injury, is a levis culpa because it's a minor oversight in managing a potential hazard that a reasonably prudent homeowner would generally avoid.