What is a principal characteristic of negligence law?

Negligence law is fundamentally based on the concept of a duty of care that is owed by one party to another. A principal characteristic of negligence is that it assesses whether this duty of care has been breached by the actions (or inactions) of a party, resulting in harm or injury to another.

When a person engages in behavior that does not meet the expected standard of care—whether due to carelessness or failure to act when required—they can be found negligent if that breach leads to foreseeable harm. The requirement to establish a breach of duty is essential in determining liability in negligence cases.

The other options do not capture the essence of negligence law. For instance, requiring intent to harm is more related to intentional torts rather than negligence, which does not concern itself with the intent behind the negligent act. Furthermore, while minors can have claims in negligence cases, certain legal principles, like the "age of majority," may affect how those claims are processed, but do not outright prohibit them. Lastly, negligence is applicable beyond just contractual relationships and can arise in various contexts, including personal injury cases and public liability situations, making it broader than merely contractual disputes.