What does negligence refer to?

Negligence refers to the failure to use reasonable care that results in damage or injury to another person. This concept is fundamental in both civil and criminal law, where a person may be held liable if their lack of reasonable care directly leads to someone else's injury. For example, if a driver does not pay attention to the road and causes an accident, that driver can be deemed negligent because they failed to exercise the caution that a reasonable driver would have shown under similar circumstances.

In the context of the other choices, deliberate harm to others represents a more intentional act rather than negligence, which is based on carelessness. Protective actions taken imply a proactive stance to prevent harm, contrasting with negligence where no preventive measures were taken. Understanding another's emotions is related to empathy or emotional intelligence and does not pertain to the legal definition of negligence. All these factors clarify why the focus is on the failure to use reasonable care in defining negligence.