Legal Definitions - wrong

In legal terms, a "wrong" refers to an action or inaction that violates a legal duty or infringes upon another person's legal rights. When a wrong occurs, it can give rise to legal liability, meaning the person or entity responsible may face legal consequences, such as having to pay damages or perform a specific action.

• Example 1: A construction company fails to secure its work site properly, and a passerby trips over loose materials left on the sidewalk, breaking their arm.
  • Explanation: The construction company had a legal duty to maintain a safe work environment and public access. Their failure to do so, leading to injury, constitutes a wrong.
• Example 2: A tenant stops paying rent as stipulated in their lease agreement.
  • Explanation: The tenant has breached a contractual legal duty to their landlord. This breach is a wrong, entitling the landlord to seek legal remedies.

Types of Wrongs

The concept of a "wrong" can be further categorized based on the nature of the duty violated, the intent of the wrongdoer, and the party primarily affected.

• Civil Wrong
• A civil wrong is a violation of non-criminal law that causes harm or injury to an individual or entity. Unlike criminal wrongs, which are prosecuted by the state, civil wrongs typically lead to a lawsuit where the injured party seeks compensation or other remedies from the wrongdoer.
• Example 1: A software developer signs a contract to create a custom application for a client but then delivers a non-functional product that doesn't meet the agreed-upon specifications.
  • Explanation: This is a breach of contract, a common type of civil wrong. The client can sue the developer for damages to recover their losses.
• Example 2: A driver, distracted by their phone, runs a red light and collides with another car, causing property damage and personal injury to the other driver.
  • Explanation: The distracted driver committed a civil wrong (specifically, a tort of negligence) by failing to exercise reasonable care, leading to harm. The injured driver can sue for medical expenses, car repairs, and other related losses.
• Continuing Wrong
• A continuing wrong is a harmful action or situation that persists over a period of time, rather than being a single, isolated event. It is an ongoing violation that can often be stopped or corrected through legal intervention.
• Example 1: A factory consistently discharges pollutants into a nearby river, affecting the water quality and harming local wildlife for several months.
  • Explanation: The pollution is not a one-time event but an ongoing act that causes continuous environmental damage, making it a continuing wrong.
• Example 2: A neighbor repeatedly parks their car on a portion of your property, despite being asked to stop, creating a persistent trespass over weeks.
  • Explanation: The repeated, unauthorized use of your land constitutes a continuing wrong, as the violation of your property rights is ongoing.
• Intentional Wrong (also called Willful Wrong)
• An intentional wrong is a harmful act committed with a deliberate purpose or knowledge that harm would likely result. The wrongdoer acts with a specific intent to cause the outcome.
• Example 1: Someone deliberately spreads false and damaging rumors about a competitor's business, knowing these statements are untrue and will harm the competitor's reputation.
  • Explanation: This is an intentional wrong (defamation) because the person purposefully made false statements with the intent to cause harm.
• Example 2: A person physically assaults another individual, striking them with the clear intent to cause bodily injury.
  • Explanation: The act of striking with the purpose of causing injury is a clear example of an intentional wrong.
• Legal Wrong
• A legal wrong is any act or omission that violates a specific rule or statute established by law. It encompasses both civil and criminal wrongs, meaning it is an act that is prohibited and can lead to legal consequences.
• Example 1: A company fails to comply with workplace safety regulations, leading to an employee injury.
  • Explanation: The company's failure to follow established safety laws is a legal wrong, potentially leading to fines from regulatory bodies and civil lawsuits from the injured employee.
• Example 2: A person is caught shoplifting from a retail store.
  • Explanation: Shoplifting is a violation of criminal law, making it a legal wrong that can result in criminal charges and penalties.
• Moral Wrong
• A moral wrong is an act that is considered unethical, unjust, or contrary to widely accepted principles of right and wrong, even if it is not illegal. It violates societal or personal ethical standards.
• Example 1: A person promises to help a friend move but then backs out at the last minute without a valid reason, leaving the friend in a difficult situation.
  • Explanation: While not illegal, breaking a promise and abandoning a friend in need is generally considered a moral wrong.
• Example 2: An individual witnesses someone struggling financially but chooses not to offer assistance, despite having the means to do so and no personal risk involved.
  • Explanation: While there's no legal duty to help, many would consider a refusal to assist someone in clear need, when it's easy to do so, a moral wrong.
• Personal Wrong
• A personal wrong is an infringement upon an individual's fundamental rights, such as their privacy, reputation, bodily integrity, or emotional well-being. These wrongs directly affect an individual's person.
• Example 1: A newspaper publishes a false story about a public figure, severely damaging their reputation and causing emotional distress.
  • Explanation: This act of defamation is a personal wrong because it directly invades the public figure's right to a good reputation.
• Example 2: An individual secretly installs a camera in their neighbor's private backyard without consent.
  • Explanation: This action constitutes an invasion of privacy, which is a personal wrong, as it infringes upon the neighbor's right to solitude and control over their personal space.
• Private Wrong
• A private wrong is an offense committed against a specific individual or entity, rather than against society as a whole. The injured party typically initiates legal action to seek redress. These often overlap with civil wrongs.
• Example 1: A homeowner's dog, known to be aggressive, escapes its yard and bites a delivery person.
  • Explanation: The dog owner's negligence caused harm directly to the delivery person, making it a private wrong for which the delivery person can sue.
• Example 2: A landlord fails to make necessary repairs to a tenant's apartment, despite repeated requests, leading to property damage and health issues for the tenant.
  • Explanation: The landlord's breach of their duty to maintain the property directly harms the tenant, making it a private wrong that the tenant can address through legal action.
• Public Wrong
• A public wrong is an offense that harms the state or the community at large, or violates a public interest. Legal proceedings for public wrongs are typically initiated by the government. Not all public wrongs are crimes; some can be civil in nature.
• Example 1: A large corporation illegally dumps toxic waste into a municipal water supply, contaminating the drinking water for an entire town.
  • Explanation: This act harms the health and safety of the entire community, making it a public wrong. The government would likely prosecute or sue the corporation.
• Example 2: A company repeatedly violates federal regulations regarding fair competition, leading to an unfair market for consumers and other businesses.
  • Explanation: Such anti-competitive behavior harms the broader economic public interest, making it a public wrong that government agencies would address.
• Transitory Wrong
• A transitory wrong is a wrong that occurs at a specific point in time and, once committed, is considered a completed act, even if its effects are long-lasting. The act itself is not ongoing.
• Example 1: A driver causes a car accident by running a stop sign.
  • Explanation: The act of running the stop sign and causing the collision is a single, completed event, even though the injuries and damage may require long-term recovery and repairs.
• Example 2: A person commits a one-time act of vandalism by spray-painting graffiti on a public building.
  • Explanation: The act of defacing the building happened at a specific moment in the past, making it a transitory wrong, even if the graffiti remains for a long time.
• Wrong of Negligence
• A wrong of negligence occurs when a person's failure to exercise reasonable care results in harm to another, without any intention to cause that harm. The focus is on carelessness rather than deliberate intent.
• Example 1: A homeowner fails to repair a broken step on their porch, despite knowing it's a hazard. A guest then falls and is injured.
  • Explanation: The homeowner did not intend for the guest to fall, but their carelessness in maintaining a safe property led to the injury, constituting a wrong of negligence.
• Example 2: A pharmacist mistakenly dispenses the wrong medication to a patient, leading to adverse health effects.
  • Explanation: The pharmacist likely did not intend to harm the patient but failed to exercise the reasonable care expected of a professional, resulting in a wrong of negligence.
• Wrong of Strict Liability
• A wrong of strict liability holds a person responsible for harm caused by their actions or activities, regardless of their intent or whether they were negligent. Responsibility is based solely on the fact that the harm occurred due to a specific activity or product.
• Example 1: A manufacturer produces a faulty toaster that catches fire and burns down a consumer's kitchen, even though the manufacturer followed all safety protocols during production.
  • Explanation: Under strict product liability laws, the manufacturer can be held responsible for the damage caused by the defective product, even without proof of negligence or intent to harm.
• Example 2: A person keeps a wild, exotic animal (like a venomous snake) as a pet, and it escapes and bites a neighbor.
  • Explanation: Keeping inherently dangerous animals often falls under strict liability. The owner can be held responsible for any harm caused by the animal, regardless of how careful they were in securing it.