Legal Definitions - victim

A victim is an individual who has suffered harm as a direct result of a wrongful act. This harm can manifest in various ways, including physical injury, financial loss, emotional distress, or damage to property or reputation. The wrongful act itself can stem from a criminal offense, a civil wrong (known as a tort), or another type of legal transgression.

• Example 1 (Crime): Imagine a person whose car is stolen from their driveway.

  Explanation: In this scenario, the individual has suffered significant financial harm due to the theft of their property, which is a criminal act. They are considered the victim of this crime because they directly experienced the loss caused by the wrongful conduct.

• Example 2 (Tort - Negligence): Consider a pedestrian who is struck and injured by a driver who was texting and failed to stop at a red light.

  Explanation: The pedestrian has suffered physical harm (injuries) and potentially financial harm (medical expenses, lost wages) due to the driver's negligent behavior. Negligence is a type of civil wrong, or tort, and the pedestrian is the victim of this tortious act.

• Example 3 (Other Wrong - Breach of Contract): A small business owner contracts with a web design company to build a new e-commerce site, but the company fails to deliver the promised features and misses critical deadlines, causing the business to lose revenue.

  Explanation: The business owner has suffered financial harm (lost revenue, wasted investment) due to the web design company's failure to fulfill its contractual obligations. This breach of contract is a "wrong" that directly harmed the business owner, making them a victim of the company's non-performance.