Legal Definitions - casualty

Casualty refers to an unexpected event or disaster that causes harm to people, places, or things. It can also refer to the resulting harm from the incident. For example, if a fire destroys a house, the house and everything inside it would be considered casualties.

Additionally, casualty can refer to the loss of property or money resulting from an unforeseen event. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) allows taxpayers to deduct losses from "fire, storm, shipwreck, or other casualty" on their tax returns.

Examples of casualties include:

• A person who is injured or killed in a car accident
• A building that is destroyed in a natural disaster like a hurricane or earthquake
• A business that suffers financial losses due to a cyber attack
• A soldier who is killed or injured in combat

These examples illustrate how casualties can occur in a variety of situations and can affect different types of entities, including people, buildings, and businesses.