Which of the following is listed as an element of a civil tort?

• A. Plaintiff's intent to commit harm
• B. Court's jurisdiction
• C. Defendant owes a certain duty of care
• D. Government immunity

Answer: (C)

In civil torts, liability hinges on whether the defendant owed a duty of care to the plaintiff. That duty means a standard of reasonable conduct the defendant was expected to follow toward others in similar circumstances. If the defendant breached that duty and the breach caused damages, liability can attach. This duty element is the best fit because it establishes the defendant’s obligation to act with reasonable care toward the plaintiff, which is the foundation for any tort claim.

The other ideas relate to parts of case handling or defenses rather than the basic claim itself. Intent to harm is not required for most civil torts (it matters for intentional torts, but not as a universal element). Court jurisdiction concerns whether the court can hear the case, not what must be proven to establish a tort. Government immunity is a statutory or doctrinal shield, a defense rather than an element of the tort claim itself.