Which legal principle requires one to act reasonably to prevent harm to others?

The principle that requires individuals to act reasonably to prevent harm to others is known as the duty of care. This legal concept is fundamental in tort law and asserts that one has an obligation to conduct oneself with a standard of care that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in similar circumstances.

When a person is considered to have a duty of care, they must take necessary precautions and maintain a reasonable level of vigilance to avoid causing harm to others. For example, a driver has a duty of care to follow traffic laws and operate their vehicle safely to prevent accidents and injuries to pedestrians and other drivers.

By establishing this duty, the law aims to protect individuals from foreseeable risks and to create a framework for accountability when one party’s failure to act reasonably leads to harm. The duty of care serves as a fundamental tenet for evaluating negligence, as a breach of this duty can result in liability for damages caused by that failure to act.