Legal Definitions - ordinary negligence

Definition: Ordinary negligence is the failure to exercise the standard of care that a reasonably prudent person would have exercised in a similar situation. It refers to any conduct that falls below the legal standard established to protect others against unreasonable risk of harm, except for conduct that is intentionally, wantonly, or willfully disregardful of others' rights. The term denotes culpable carelessness.

Examples: An example of ordinary negligence is a driver who fails to stop at a red light and causes an accident. Another example is a store owner who fails to clean up a spill on the floor, causing a customer to slip and fall.

Explanation: In both examples, the individuals failed to exercise the standard of care that a reasonably prudent person would have exercised in a similar situation. Their conduct fell below the legal standard established to protect others against unreasonable risk of harm, and they were culpably careless. As a result, they may be held liable for any damages caused by their negligence.