Intentional Tort

Category: legal

A civil wrong resulting from an act committed with the specific intent to cause harm or a prohibited consequence.

Unlike negligence, intentional torts require proof that the defendant acted with purpose or knew with substantial certainty that harm would follow. This category includes physical violence, deliberate property interference, and malicious reputational damage.

Common Examples

• Punching someone during a dispute is an intentional tort (battery), even if the underlying conflict began as a verbal argument.
• The plaintiff successfully proved an intentional tort because the defendant admitted they deliberately blocked the exit to cause distress.