In
tort law, a
duty of care is a
legal obligation which is imposed on an individual requiring adherence to a
standard of
reasonable care while performing any acts that could foreseeably harm others. It is the first element that must be established to proceed with an action in
negligence. The claimant must
be able to show a duty of care imposed by law which the defendant has breached. In turn, breaching a duty may subject an individual to liability. The duty of care may be imposed
by operation of law between individuals with no
current direct relationship (familial or contractual or otherwise), but eventually become related in some manner, as defined by
common law (meaning case law).