A tort is a civil wrong that causes a claimant to suffer loss or harm, resulting in legal liability for the

person who commits the tortious act. Tort law can be contrasted with criminal law, which deals with
criminal wrongs that are punishable by the state.

A tort Is an act or omission that gives rise to injury or harm to another and amounts to a civil wrong for
which courts impose liability. In the context of torts, “injury” describes the invasion of any legal right,
whereas “harm” describes a loss or detriment in fact that an individual suffers.

However, there are 3 main types: intentional torts, negligence, and strict liability.

Intentional Torts.

Some examples of intentional torts are assault, battery, defamation of character, interfering with a
business, trespassing, invasion of privacy, false imprisonment, and identity theft. All of these are
intentional torts because they require that the wrongdoer acted knowingly or with the intention to
cause harm or loss to the victim. To offer a more specific example, assume that an employee is angry
after he was terminated from a software company. To retaliate, the employee leaks proprietary
information to a competing software company with the intent to diminish the profits of the former
employer.

Negligent Torts.

Negligent torts are committed when one party fails to act with the expected level of care toward another
party resulting in harm, loss, or suffering to the affected party. Negligence arises when the defendant has
a duty to exercise reasonable care to prevent injury or harm to the plaintiff and fails to act in accordance
with the duty. Examples of negligent torts are abundant and include vehicular accidents, injuries
occurring in businesses from lack of proper maintenance or lighting, doctors failing to diagnose illnesses,
and slip and fall cases resulting from grocery stores’ failure to clean up slippery floors.

Strict Liability Torts.

Examples of strict liability torts are less common due to the specific criteria that must be met to prove
this type of tort has been committed. Strict liability torts include the possession of wild animals,
engaging in abnormally risky activities, and product liability. If someone is injured or killed by an escaped
zoo animal, the court will likely find that a strict liability tort was committed and the zoo would be held
liable. If something goes wrong during a professional fireworks display and members of the public are
injured by an errant explosive, the detonation company would likely be held strictly liable. If a weed
control product is sold and later found to contain known carcinogens, the manufacturer of the product
can be held liable for illnesses linked to the product’s use.

In general, we understand a Crime to mean some act that is very serious and results in often dangerous
consequences. On the other hand, we identify a Civil Wrong as an act that does not carry the same
degree of seriousness and danger as that of a Crime.

What is the difference between Crime and Civil Wrong?

• A Civil Wrong refers to a wrongful act that infringes the private rights of an individual.
• A Crime, in contrast, is an act that violates the rights of society or the public as a whole. It is considered
as an act that threatens or disrupts the peace and order of a society.

• A Civil Wrong typically constitutes non-criminal acts and includes torts, such as negligence, breach of
contract or breach of trust.

• Murder, arson and robbery are examples of a Crime.

• If a party is convicted of committing a Civil Wrong, he/she will have to pay compensation by way of
damages.

• In contrast, a person convicted of committing a Crime will be punished by way of imprisonment.

Similarities.

In both a civil and criminal case, the victim is an individual or entity like an agency, business, or
corporation that is harmed, injured, killed, or has their property rights violated. Also in both types of
cases, the decision made by the court can be appealed.

1.In both a civil and criminal case, the victim is an individual or entity like an agency, business, or
corporation that is harmed, injured, killed, or has their property rights violated.

2.Also in both types of cases, the decision made by the court can be appealed. The appeal process can
seek to change the initial judgment. There are other alternatives, which include appealing the damages
or severity of the sentence. There are some instances when a criminal act can give way to civil liability.
For example, if an individual is charged with homicide and sued for wrongful death at the same time, the
civil part of the case would follow the completion of the criminal trial process. In cases like this, the
criminal charges would be punishable by fines, prison time, and other penalties, whereas the goal of the
lawsuit would be to recover funds to compensate the victim for damages.

3.For both types of law, the parties are entitled to a lawyer

4. The civil and criminal law system work together to ensure civil harmony

5. Both civil wrongs and crime follow a similar structure in terms of court proceedings. They typically
involve presenting evidence, calling witnesses, cross-examination, and making arguments before a judge
or jury.

In conclusion. Torts and criminal law are two distinct areas of legal practice, and they differ in several key
ways:

1. Nature of Action:

-Torts: Torts deal with civil wrongs that result in harm or injury to individuals or their property. The
primary purpose is to compensate the injured party for their losses.

-Criminal Law: Criminal law addresses offenses against society as a whole. It involves actions that are
considered crimes, and the goal is to punish the wrongdoer for their conduct.

2. Parties Involved:
 - Torts: In a tort case, the parties are typically a plaintiff (the injured party) and a defendant (the
alleged wrongdoer).

- Criminal Law: Criminal cases involve the state (prosecution) bringing charges against the defendant,
who is accused of committing a crime.

3. Burden of Proof:

- Torts: The burden of proof in tort cases is typically on the plaintiff, who must show that it is more
likely than not (preponderance of the evidence) that the defendant’s actions caused harm.

- Criminal Law: In criminal cases, the burden of proof is much higher, as the prosecution must prove
the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

4. Outcome:

- Torts: The outcome often involves the payment of monetary damages to the injured party as
compensation for their losses.

- Criminal Law: The outcome can result in penalties such as fines, probation, imprisonment, or other
punitive measures, rather than financial compensation for the victim.

5. Purpose:

- Torts: The main purpose of tort law is to provide remedies to individuals who have been wronged and
to discourage careless or harmful behavior.

- Criminal Law: The primary purpose of criminal law is to maintain order, protect society, and deter
criminal conduct through punishment.

6. Statute of Limitations:

- Torts: The statute of limitations for tort claims varies by jurisdiction and the type of tort but is
generally shorter than that for criminal offenses.

- Criminal Law: The statute of limitations for criminal offenses also varies but is generally longer than
that for torts, especially for serious crimes.

It's important to note that some actions may lead to both criminal and civil liability. For example, if
someone commits assault (a crime) and injures another person, the victim may have a civil claim for
assault (tort) in addition to the criminal charges brought by the state.