What term describes a person's failure to meet the applicable standard of care?

The term that describes a person's failure to meet the applicable standard of care is known as "breach." In legal terminology, particularly in cases of negligence, a breach occurs when an individual or entity fails to act with the level of care that a reasonable person would in similar circumstances. This failure can take many forms, such as acting carelessly, failing to act when they should have, or otherwise not adhering to established standards.

Understanding breach is crucial because it is a key element in establishing liability in legal cases. In the context of negligence, once a duty of care is established, demonstrating a breach of that duty lays the groundwork for proving that the negligent behavior directly led to injury or damage.

The other terms, such as duty, causation, and damages, refer to different components of negligence. Duty refers to the obligation one has to conform to a standard of care; causation links the breach of duty directly to the harm caused; and damages represent the harm or injury suffered as a result of the breach. Together, these elements form the basis of a negligence claim, but specifically identifying a breach is what indicates that the standard of care was not met.