A tort is a civil wrong that is not founded on a contract. Those civil wrongs that are founded on a contract are referred to as a breach of contract or simply contract actions. It is important to understand that when you enter into a contract either party to the contract can breach or violate the contract but in doing so the breaching or violating party pays the contract damages that either are spelled out in the contact or can be said to reasonably be within the contemplation of the parties when the contract was entered into.
Contract Law vs Tort Law
A contract action is dramatically different than a tort action. A tort action is founded on there being a duty owed by one person to another that is not based on a contract and that person then violates the duty. That is, a motorist owes a duty to other motorists to not rear end the vehicle being followed by maintaining full time and attention and keeping a safe distance from the vehicle in front. If those duties are violated then that may constitute a tort and give rise to a tort claim.
Tort law is that body of reported case law from the Virginia Supreme Court since approximately 1940 dealing with tort concepts. Tort law to some extent is also found in the Virginia statutes.
Discover More About Tort Law
Below you will find links that will take you to the pages dealing with Tort Terms and Tort Case law. Tort terms are a compilation of terms that are frequently used in the context of tort law.
