Tort
The word tort came into English from Latin by way of Norman French. The original word was tortum (TOR-toom), meaning to twist (the words torture and torque have the same etymological root).
In modern legal terms, a tort refers to any act other than a breach of contract in which a party suffers an injury or loss. In the U.S., tort is not applied in criminal cases; it refers to a situation in which negligence results in liability on the part of one party, against whom the injured party can seek redress, relief or recovery - generally in the form of a monetary award. The relief - also known as a remedy - may also be declaratory. Instead of a monetary award, the court may issue an order to stop something, known as an injunction.
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One example of an injunction is a restraining order. A battered ex-wife is obliged to go to court and get a restraining order against the former husband who continues to harass her. Such a restraining order will order the ex-husband not to come within 100 feet of the complainant; otherwise, he risks arrest and possible criminal charges.
Injury and liability suits are the most common torts. Usually, a tort case is about product liability or an injury or death due to carelessness on the part of someone.
Monetary compensation in torts is one of two kinds. The first is compensatory; recovery of actual costs related to the illness or loss and compensation for medical bills, loss of income, pain and suffering, etc. The second is punitive. This is essentially a fine levied on a person or corporation intended to punish and set an example.
These "punitive damages" have been targeted by many pro-corporate interests in the name of "tort reform." The argument is that punitive damages are often out of proportion to the alleged wrongdoing. For example, a punitive award of $50 million recently made to a plaintiff by a Louisiana court was reduced to $600,000 by the judge. While this may be appropriate for a judgment against a small-to-medium sized company, the pharmaceutical corporation in this case has a net worth several billions - in comparison to which $50 million is pocket change.