Legal Definitions - willful wrong

A willful wrong refers to an act or omission that is done with a deliberate intention to cause harm, injury, or damage, or with a conscious and reckless disregard for a known substantial risk that harm will result. It is distinguished from actions that are merely negligent or accidental because it involves a purposeful decision to engage in conduct that is known to be wrong or harmful.

Here are some examples illustrating a willful wrong:

• Example 1: Corporate Misconduct

  Imagine a pharmaceutical company that discovers a serious, life-threatening side effect of one of its popular drugs during internal testing. Despite this knowledge, the company's executives decide to intentionally conceal this information from regulatory bodies and the public, continuing to market and sell the drug to maximize profits. When patients suffer severe health consequences as a direct result of taking the drug, the company's act of deliberately hiding the known risks constitutes a willful wrong. The executives made a conscious decision to deceive and expose people to harm for financial gain, rather than making an accidental oversight.

• Example 2: Intentional Property Damage

  Consider a situation where a disgruntled former employee, seeking revenge, deliberately hacks into their previous employer's computer system and deletes critical customer databases and financial records. This act is not an accident or a mistake; the individual intentionally accessed the system without authorization and purposefully destroyed valuable data. Their actions represent a willful wrong because they acted with the express intent to cause significant damage and disruption to the company's operations.

• Example 3: Deliberate Breach of Contract

  Suppose a construction company signs a contract to build a custom home, agreeing to use specific high-quality materials. Midway through the project, the company decides to intentionally substitute cheaper, inferior materials without informing the homeowner, solely to increase their profit margin. This is not a mistake in ordering or a misunderstanding of the specifications. The company knowingly and deliberately violated the terms of the contract to their own benefit and to the detriment of the homeowner. This intentional deviation from the agreed-upon terms, with the aim of personal gain and knowing it would result in a substandard product, is an example of a willful wrong.