What term describes the failure to act with reasonable care, leading to potential harm or damage?

The term that describes the failure to act with reasonable care, which can lead to potential harm or damage, is negligence. Negligence involves a breach of a duty of care that results in harm to another person. To establish negligence, one must show that there was a duty owed, a failure to meet that duty (or a lack of reasonable care), and that this failure caused harm or damage.

Negligence is a fundamental concept in personal lines insurance and legal liability, as it often serves as the basis for claims related to accidents, injuries, and damages. Liability refers to the legal responsibility one may have due to negligence, but it does not inherently describe the act of failing to exercise reasonable care. Exposure relates more to the potential for loss or damage rather than the conduct itself. Risk encompasses the broader idea of the potential for a negative outcome but is not specific to the failure to act with care.