tortfeasor
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˈtɔrtˌfiːzər/
- Formal
- Understanding who the tortfeasor is can help clarify the legal responsibilities in a personal injury claim.
- a joint tortfeasor
- tortfeasor liability
- contribution from a tortfeasor
Examples
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The Court has again raised the issue of whether to exclude punitive damages, which are designed to punish the tortfeasor, not compensate the victim.
Academic text (1995) -
Because the cost of injuring these populations is reduced, potential tortfeasors may be less cautious when dealing with them.
Academic text (2017) -
A supposed tortfeasor may be argued to have committed a tortious act... ...when four conditions have been met.
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In addition, no joint tortfeasor may bring a contribution action if it intentionally caused the harm for which it is liable.
Academic text (1991) -
Both tests focus on allocating liability to those who are in a position to control the tortfeasor's behavior.
Academic text (2016) -
The general rule is that a municipality is not liable under Section 1983 solely because it employs a tortfeasor; the plaintiff must establish some policy or practice that caused the injury.
Academic text (1997) -
When defining the scope of individual liability against constitutional tortfeasors, courts should not lose sight of the ever-narrowing scope of municipal liability.
Academic text (2016) -
After being sued for damages, the company identified the main tortfeasor responsible for the wrongful act.
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In a successful case, the court found the tortfeasor liable for negligence that caused the accident.
Synonyms
144
6.8
A person who commits a crime or other serious wrong
1
7.6
A person who breaks the law, for example by theft or fraud
A person who causes harm and must pay for it by law
How Responsible
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Tortfeasor is made of tort ('wrong') and a Latin root facere ('to do'), so it literally means 'one who does a wrong'. That's why a tortfeasor is a person who caused harm and can be held legally responsible.