What must a plaintiff prove to recover damages in a negligence case?

To recover damages in a negligence case, the plaintiff must establish four essential elements: duty, breach, causation, and damages.

Duty refers to the legal obligation that one party (the defendant) owes to another (the plaintiff) to act with a certain standard of care to prevent foreseeable harm. Breach is the failure of the defendant to meet this standard of care, which can be an action or a failure to act when required. Causation connects the breach of duty to the harm suffered by the plaintiff, establishing that the defendant's actions (or inactions) directly resulted in the plaintiff's injuries. Finally, damages are the actual losses suffered by the plaintiff as a consequence of the breach, which can include medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other related costs.

This framework is critical in negligence cases because it ensures that a plaintiff can demonstrate a comprehensive legal theory that links the defendant's conduct to the claimed damages. Without establishing all four components, a negligence claim may fail.

Other options focus on incomplete concepts—focusing solely on the breach of duty or emotional pain would not sufficiently capture the full scope of negligence liability, nor would intent to harm, which is more relevant to intentional torts rather than negligence.