An injury is a harm suffered by a person due to some act or omission done by another person, and can generally give rise to a civil tort claim or a criminal prosecution.
An injury or harm done is also an essential element of unintentional torts. In California for example, a negligent act or omission is a breach of the duty of care to “prevent harm to oneself or others.”
Some other forms of injury recognized by the law include:
- A permanent injury is a type of personal injury of a nature that has a lasting, adverse effect on employment potential.
- An irreparable injury is a type of harm that cannot be cured or reversed by monetary compensation. One example is the pollution of a river.
[Last updated in June of 2020 by the Wex Definitions Team]