{"id":4763,"date":"2026-10-27T05:05:30","date_gmt":"2026-10-27T05:05:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.attorneyadanna.com\/resources\/resources-wrongful-death-law-georgia\/what-qualifies-as-negligence\/"},"modified":"2026-10-30T08:21:27","modified_gmt":"2026-10-30T08:21:27","slug":"what-qualifies-as-negligence","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.attorneyadanna.com\/resources\/resources-wrongful-death-law-georgia\/what-qualifies-as-negligence\/","title":{"rendered":"What Qualifies as Negligence? A Georgia Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover alignfull is-dark chg-hero\" style=\"min-height:460px;aspect-ratio:unset;\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim-70 has-background-dim wp-block-cover__gradient-background has-background-gradient\" style=\"background:linear-gradient(90deg,rgba(32,36,46,1) 0%,rgba(32,36,46,1) 55%,rgba(32,36,46,0.7) 100%)\"><\/span><img class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-4760\" alt=\"Empty Georgia sidewalk with a yellow caution sign and a cracked pavement section.\" src=\"https:\/\/www.attorneyadanna.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/empty-georgia-sidewalk-with-a-yellow-caution-sign-and-a-crac-photo.jpg\" width=\"1376\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.attorneyadanna.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/empty-georgia-sidewalk-with-a-yellow-caution-sign-and-a-crac-photo-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.attorneyadanna.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/empty-georgia-sidewalk-with-a-yellow-caution-sign-and-a-crac-photo-300x167.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.attorneyadanna.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/empty-georgia-sidewalk-with-a-yellow-caution-sign-and-a-crac-photo-768x429.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.attorneyadanna.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/empty-georgia-sidewalk-with-a-yellow-caution-sign-and-a-crac-photo-1024x572.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.attorneyadanna.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/empty-georgia-sidewalk-with-a-yellow-caution-sign-and-a-crac-photo.jpg 1376w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 825px) 825px, 100vw\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\"\/><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-cover-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"chg-eyebrow has-base-color has-text-color wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-shadow:0 1px 3px rgba(0,0,0,0.6),0 0 18px rgba(0,0,0,0.35)\">Atlanta and Georgia Personal Injury Guide<\/p><h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-base-color has-text-color\" style=\"text-shadow:0 1px 3px rgba(0,0,0,0.6),0 0 18px rgba(0,0,0,0.35)\">What Qualifies as Negligence? A Georgia Guide<\/h1><p class=\"has-base-color has-text-color wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:clamp(0.875rem, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 0.2rem) * 0.769), 1.25rem);text-shadow:0 1px 3px rgba(0,0,0,0.6),0 0 18px rgba(0,0,0,0.35)\">Negligence means failing to use the care a reasonably careful person would use. Here is a plain-language look at what that means, how it fits serious injury cases, and how our team can help you understand your options.<\/p><div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\"><div class=\"wp-block-button chg-cta chg-cta-call\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"tel:+14045932705\">Request a free case review<\/a><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-button chg-cta chg-cta-form\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.attorneyadanna.com\/contact\">Request a free case review<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:0.85rem;color:#6b7280;margin-bottom:1.5rem\">By Adanna Ugwonali \u00b7 Published October 27, 2026<\/p>\n\n<article lang=\"en\">\n\n\n<p>Negligence is carelessness that causes harm to another person. It means failing to act the way a reasonably careful person would in the same situation. Whether a specific act counts as negligence depends on the facts. This guide explains each part in plain language, with examples from crashes, falls on unsafe property, and fatal accidents.<\/p>\n<p>Ugwonali Law Group represents people seriously hurt in truck and car crashes, slip and falls, and other incidents, and families in wrongful death cases, across metro Atlanta and statewide in Georgia.<\/p>\n<h2>What negligence means in plain terms<\/h2>\n<p>Negligence is the failure to use the care a reasonable person would use. Georgia&#8217;s code describes ordinary diligence as the care that ordinarily prudent persons use under the same or similar circumstances. It says the absence of that diligence is called ordinary negligence (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.legis.ga.gov\/api\/document\/docs\/default-source\/joint-features-document-library\/t51-(v39)-2017-pdf.pdf\">O.C.G.A. \u00a7 51-1-2<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>This is a civil idea. It is about who is responsible for harm. It is not a finding that someone meant to hurt anyone.<\/p>\n<p>In everyday speech, people call any careless mistake &#8220;negligent.&#8221; That is close, but the legal meaning has specific parts. A person can feel sorry about an accident and still be responsible for it. Each part of the legal meaning has to be looked at on its own.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large has-custom-border\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.attorneyadanna.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/centennial-olympic-park-in-atlanta-with-skyscrapers-and-a-fe-photo.jpg\" alt=\"Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, with skyscrapers and a Ferris wheel under daytime sky.\" style=\"border-radius:8px;width:100%;aspect-ratio:16\/9;object-fit:cover\"\/><\/figure>\n<h2>The four elements a negligence claim generally involves<\/h2>\n<p>Georgia law says an injured party may recover for breach of a legal duty if they suffer damage from it, even when no cause of action is named in express terms (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.legis.ga.gov\/api\/document\/docs\/default-source\/joint-features-document-library\/t51-(v39)-2017-pdf.pdf\">O.C.G.A. \u00a7 51-1-6<\/a>). That is why each part matters.<\/p>\n<p>Here is how the parts can look in a real case:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A driver owes other road users a duty to drive with care.<\/li>\n<li>A driver who runs a red light may breach that duty.<\/li>\n<li>The collision may cause a broken leg.<\/li>\n<li>The broken leg leads to medical bills and missed work, which are damages.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Duty of care: who owes what to whom<\/h2>\n<p>A duty of care is a legal obligation to act, or to hold back, in a way that protects others. Duties come from relationships and situations. They are not the same for everyone.<\/p>\n<p>Drivers owe a duty to other people on the road. A commercial truck driver shares the road with smaller vehicles and must drive with that in mind. The duty applies to the driver&#8217;s conduct on the road, not to the outcome alone.<\/p>\n<p>Property owners owe a duty to visitors. Georgia&#8217;s code says an owner or occupier of land who, by express or implied invitation, induces or leads others onto the property for any lawful purpose is liable in damages for injuries caused by a failure to use ordinary care in keeping the premises and approaches safe (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.legis.ga.gov\/api\/document\/docs\/default-source\/joint-features-document-library\/t51-(v39)-2017-pdf.pdf\">O.C.G.A. \u00a7 51-3-1<\/a>). A store that invites shoppers in must keep its walkways reasonably safe.<\/p>\n<p>The scope of a duty depends on the relationship and the circumstances. A shopper, a delivery driver, and a trespasser are not owed the same things.<\/p>\n<h2>Breach of duty and the reasonable person standard<\/h2>\n<p>A breach happens when someone fails to act the way a reasonably careful person would in the same situation. The reasonable person standard is an objective yardstick. It is not a perfect-person test.<\/p>\n<p>Intent is not the same as neglect. A careless act or an overlooked hazard can be negligent with no intent to harm at all. Georgia&#8217;s code treats negligence as the absence of ordinary diligence, not as a plan to cause injury (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.legis.ga.gov\/api\/document\/docs\/default-source\/joint-features-document-library\/t51-(v39)-2017-pdf.pdf\">O.C.G.A. \u00a7 51-1-2<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Some common examples:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Driving too fast through heavy rain, where the driver cannot stop in time.<\/li>\n<li>A store employee who sees a spill and leaves it on the floor without a warning sign.<\/li>\n<li>A property owner who knows a stair is broken and does not repair it or block it off.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Usually, they do not.<\/p>\n<h2>Causation: linking the breach to the harm<\/h2>\n<p>Causation asks whether the careless act actually led to the injury or death. The act that starts a chain of events is not always the last thing that happens before the harm.<\/p>\n<p>Take a driver who runs a red light and hits a pedestrian. The pedestrian falls and fractures a hip. The question is whether the fall and the fracture trace back to the crash. Records help answer it.<\/p>\n<p>Medical records, hospital charts, and accident reports are commonly used to connect conduct to injury. Brain injuries need extra care in the record. The VA health library notes that a mild traumatic brain injury can cause symptoms, and that people should promptly report worsening or newly appearing symptoms, including after a motor vehicle accident (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.veteranshealthlibrary.va.gov\/livingwith\/traumaticbraininjury\/142,41381_VA\">VA health library on traumatic brain injury<\/a>). Early, documented care gives a clearer timeline.<\/p>\n<h2>Damages: the harm the law recognizes<\/h2>\n<p>Damages are the losses the law allows an injured person to seek. Georgia separates general damages from special damages. General damages are presumed to flow from a wrongful act and may be recovered without proof of any amount. Special damages actually flow from the act and must be proved (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.legis.ga.gov\/api\/document\/docs\/default-source\/joint-features-document-library\/t51-(v39)-2017-pdf.pdf\">O.C.G.A. \u00a7 51-12-2<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Medical expense claims have a limit. Special damages for medical and healthcare expenses are limited to the reasonable value of medically necessary care, treatment, or services, and the trier of fact decides that amount (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.legis.ga.gov\/api\/document\/docs\/default-source\/joint-features-document-library\/t51-(v39)-pdf.pdf\">O.C.G.A. \u00a7 51-12-1.1<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Compensation depends on the injury. If an injury is small or the mitigating circumstances are strong, only nominal damages are given (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.legis.ga.gov\/api\/document\/docs\/default-source\/joint-features-document-library\/t51-(v39)-2017-pdf.pdf\">O.C.G.A. \u00a7 51-12-4<\/a>). Fractures, hospital stays, brain injuries, and spinal injuries usually come with a medical record that documents them.<\/p>\n<p>In a wrongful death case, a surviving spouse may recover the full value of the decedent&#8217;s life, as shown by the evidence. If there is no surviving spouse, a child or children may recover that value (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.legis.ga.gov\/api\/document\/docs\/default-source\/joint-features-document-library\/t51-(v39)-pdf.pdf\">O.C.G.A. \u00a7 51-4-2<\/a>). When death results from criminal or other negligence, the personal representative may recover funeral, medical, and other necessary expenses (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.legis.ga.gov\/api\/document\/docs\/default-source\/joint-features-document-library\/t51-(v39)-2017-pdf.pdf\">O.C.G.A. \u00a7 51-4-5<\/a>).<\/p>\n<h2>Types of negligence and Georgia&#8217;s comparative negligence rule<\/h2>\n<p>Ordinary negligence is the careless failure to use ordinary care. For punitive damages, the law requires clear and convincing evidence of conduct such as willful misconduct, malice, or &#8220;that entire want of care which would raise the presumption of conscious indifference to consequences.&#8221; Punitive damages punish or deter. They do not compensate the injured person (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.legis.ga.gov\/api\/document\/docs\/default-source\/joint-features-document-library\/t51-(v39)-2017-pdf.pdf\">O.C.G.A. \u00a7 51-12-5.1<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Georgia also uses modified comparative fault. The injured person&#8217;s damages are reduced by their own share of fault. If that share is 50 percent or more, they recover nothing (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.legis.ga.gov\/api\/document\/docs\/default-source\/joint-features-document-library\/t51-(v39)-pdf.pdf\">O.C.G.A. \u00a7 51-12-33<\/a>). For example, if total damages were 100 and the injured person was 20 percent at fault, the award would drop to 80.<\/p>\n<p>The same statute says each liable person pays only their own share. Those shares are not joint liability among the persons liable (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.legis.ga.gov\/api\/document\/docs\/default-source\/joint-features-document-library\/t51-(v39)-pdf.pdf\">O.C.G.A. \u00a7 51-12-33(b)<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>How fault gets divided depends on the facts of each case.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large has-custom-border\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.attorneyadanna.com\/resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/hands-wrapping-a-bandage-around-an-injured-wrist-outdoors-photo.jpg\" alt=\"Hands wrapping a bandage around an injured wrist outdoors.\" style=\"border-radius:8px;width:100%;aspect-ratio:16\/9;object-fit:cover\"\/><\/figure>\n<h2>Talking with a lawyer when you are still sorting it out<\/h2>\n<p>If you are sorting out a crash, a fall, or a loss, you may be reading this for yourself. You may also be reading it for a spouse, a parent, or another family member who cannot focus right now. Either way, you are trying to understand what the law means before deciding what to do next.<\/p>\n<p>A short conversation can help you see how these elements may apply to your own facts. Ugwonali Law Group offers a free, confidential first consultation with no obligation to continue, in English or Spanish. You can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.attorneyadanna.com\/contact\">contact our team<\/a> to ask how these four parts may fit your situation.<\/p>\n<h3>Frequently asked questions<\/h3><details class=\"wp-block-details chg-faq is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>What qualifies as negligence?<\/summary><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Negligence is failing to act with the care a reasonably careful person would use. When that failure harms someone, it can support a claim.<\/p><\/details><details class=\"wp-block-details chg-faq is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>Does negligence require intent to harm?<\/summary><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No. A careless act or an overlooked hazard can be negligent without any intent to hurt anyone.<\/p><\/details><details class=\"wp-block-details chg-faq is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>How is fault divided in a Georgia injury claim?<\/summary><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legis.ga.gov\/api\/document\/docs\/default-source\/joint-features-document-library\/t51-(v39)-pdf.pdf\">O.C.G.A. \u00a7 51-12-33<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gasupreme.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/s19g1612.pdf\">Quynn v. Hulsey (2020)<\/a>), if the injured person is to some degree responsible for the injury, the judge reduces the damages in proportion to that person&#8217;s percentage of fault. The plaintiff is not entitled to receive any damages if they are 50 percent or more responsible for the injury or damages claimed.<\/p><\/details><p><em>This page gives general information, not legal advice. Adanna Ugwonali is the responsible lawyer for this page. Ugwonali Law Group, 3400 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta, Georgia.<\/em><\/p>\n\n<\/article>\n<footer class=\"disclaimer\"><em>Attorney advertising. The information on this page is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice; reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship with Ugwonali Law Group. Adanna Ugwonali is the lawyer responsible for this content. 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Bring these to your consultation.<\/p><div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\"><div class=\"wp-block-button chg-cta-call\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"tel:+14045932705\">Call for a free case review<\/a><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-button chg-cta-form\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.attorneyadanna.com\/contact\">Call for a free case review<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull has-surface-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-583d630a wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-top:3rem;padding-bottom:3rem;padding-left:1.5rem;padding-right:1.5rem\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Situations we discuss with clients<\/h2>\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-f56f613f wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\"><div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-group has-base-background-color has-background is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\" style=\"border-radius:8px;box-shadow:0 4px 14px rgba(0,0,0,0.08);padding-top:1.5rem;padding-bottom:1.5rem;padding-left:1.5rem;padding-right:1.5rem\"><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Truck and car crashes<\/h3><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Serious collisions involving commercial trucks or passenger vehicles, including crashes that lead to hospital care or total loss of a vehicle.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-group has-base-background-color has-background is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\" style=\"border-radius:8px;box-shadow:0 4px 14px rgba(0,0,0,0.08);padding-top:1.5rem;padding-bottom:1.5rem;padding-left:1.5rem;padding-right:1.5rem\"><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Premises and slip-and-fall<\/h3><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Injuries caused by hazards on property that the owner or manager knew about or should have addressed, such as wet floors or broken walkways.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-group has-base-background-color has-background is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\" style=\"border-radius:8px;box-shadow:0 4px 14px rgba(0,0,0,0.08);padding-top:1.5rem;padding-bottom:1.5rem;padding-left:1.5rem;padding-right:1.5rem\"><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Brain and spinal injuries<\/h3><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries that require ongoing medical treatment and can change daily life for years.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-group has-base-background-color has-background is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\" style=\"border-radius:8px;box-shadow:0 4px 14px rgba(0,0,0,0.08);padding-top:1.5rem;padding-bottom:1.5rem;padding-left:1.5rem;padding-right:1.5rem\"><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Wrongful death<\/h3><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Claims brought by families after a loved one dies because of another party&#x27;s careless or unsafe conduct.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull has-base-color has-primary-background-color has-text-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-4d466591 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"background-color:var(--wp--preset--color--primary,#20242e);color:var(--wp--preset--color--base,#ffffff);padding-top:3rem;padding-bottom:3rem;padding-left:1.5rem;padding-right:1.5rem\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-base-color has-text-color\">Talk with our team about what happened to you<\/h2>\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-0aa01211 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\"><div class=\"wp-block-button chg-cta chg-cta-call\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"tel:+14045932705\">Call for a free case review<\/a><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-button chg-cta chg-cta-form\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.attorneyadanna.com\/contact\">Call for a free case review<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Related practice areas<\/h2><ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"\/resources\/resources-wrongful-death-law-georgia\/\">Wrongful Death Law in Georgia: What Families Need to Know After a Fatal Crash<\/a><\/li><li>How Hard Is It to Win a Wrongful Death Lawsuit in Georgia?<\/li><\/ul>\n<!-- chg:section-siblings -->\n<nav aria-label=\"More in this section\">\n<h2>More in this section<\/h2>\n<ul><li><a href=\"\/resources\/resources-wrongful-death-law-georgia\/what-type-of-tort-is-wrongful-death\/\">What type of tort is wrongful death?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"\/resources\/resources-wrongful-death-law-georgia\/who-can-bring-a-wrongful-death-claim-in-georgia\/\">Who can bring a wrongful death claim in Georgia?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"\/resources\/resources-wrongful-death-law-georgia\/who-pays-for-wrongful-death\/\">Who pays for wrongful death?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"\/resources\/resources-wrongful-death-law-georgia\/wrongful-death\/\">Wrongful Death<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"\/resources\/resources-wrongful-death-law-georgia\/wrongful-death-attorney-atlanta\/\">Wrongful Death Attorney Atlanta<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n<\/nav>\n<!-- \/chg:section-siblings -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Negligence means failing to act as a reasonably careful person would, and it causes harm. Learn the four elements Georgia injury claims generally involve.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":2421,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"chg_review":"","chg_sendback":"","chg_canonical":"","chg_lang":"","chg_hreflang":"[{\"hreflang\": \"en\", \"href\": \"https:\/\/www.attorneyadanna.com\/resources\/resources-wrongful-death-law-georgia\/what-qualifies-as-negligence\/\"}, {\"hreflang\": \"es\", \"href\": \"https:\/\/www.attorneyadanna.com\/resources\/es\/recursos-muerte-por-negligencia-georgia\/que-es-negligencia\/\"}, {\"hreflang\": \"x-default\", \"href\": \"https:\/\/www.attorneyadanna.com\/resources\/resources-wrongful-death-law-georgia\/what-qualifies-as-negligence\/\"}]","chg_jsonld":"[{\"about\": [{\"name\": \"Negligence\", \"@type\": \"Thing\"}, {\"name\": \"Duty of care\", \"@type\": \"Thing\"}, {\"name\": \"Reasonable person standard\", \"@type\": \"Thing\"}, {\"name\": \"Comparative negligence\", \"@type\": \"Thing\"}, {\"name\": \"Personal injury claims\", \"@type\": \"Thing\"}], \"author\": {\"@type\": \"Person\", \"name\": \"Adanna Ugwonali\", \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.attorneyadanna.com\/about-us\", \"jobTitle\": \"Founding Attorney\", \"sameAs\": [\"https:\/\/www.gabar.org\/member-directory\/?id=B98682E44003FDF1C1F1618B7339823B\", \"https:\/\/instagram.com\/attorneyadanna\", \"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/adanna-ugwonali-725a1951\"], \"worksFor\": {\"@type\": \"Organization\", \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.attorneyadanna.com\/resources\/resources-wrongful-death-law-georgia\/what-qualifies-as-negligence\/#organization\", \"name\": \"Ugwonali Law Group\", \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.attorneyadanna.com\/\"}}, \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\", \"headline\": \"What Qualifies as Negligence? A Georgia Guide\", \"keywords\": [\"What qualifies as negligence\", \"negligence definition\", \"elements of negligence\", \"four elements of a negligence claim\", \"duty of care\", \"breach of duty of care\", \"reasonable person standard\", \"types of negligence\", \"gross negligence vs ordinary negligence\", \"Georgia comparative negligence\", \"negligence in wrongful death Georgia\", \"premises liability negligence Georgia\", \"truck accident negligence Georgia\"], \"publisher\": {\"@type\": \"Organization\", \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.attorneyadanna.com\/resources\/#organization\", \"name\": \"Ugwonali Law Group\", \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.attorneyadanna.com\/\"}, \"speakable\": {\"@type\": \"SpeakableSpecification\", \"cssSelector\": [\"article > p:first-of-type\", \".wp-block-details p\", \"article > h1\"]}, \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\", \"description\": \"Explains what negligence means in Georgia injury law: failing to act as a reasonably careful person would, and the four elements a claim generally involves (duty of care, breach, causation, and damages), with examples from crashes, falls on unsafe property, and wrongful death.\", \"spatialCoverage\": {\"name\": \"Georgia, United States\", \"@type\": \"Place\"}, \"reviewedBy\": {\"@type\": \"Person\", \"name\": \"Adanna Ugwonali\", \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.attorneyadanna.com\/about-us\", \"jobTitle\": \"Founding Attorney\", \"sameAs\": [\"https:\/\/www.gabar.org\/member-directory\/?id=B98682E44003FDF1C1F1618B7339823B\", \"https:\/\/instagram.com\/attorneyadanna\", \"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/adanna-ugwonali-725a1951\"], \"worksFor\": {\"@type\": \"Organization\", \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.attorneyadanna.com\/resources\/#organization\", \"name\": \"Ugwonali Law Group\", \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.attorneyadanna.com\/\"}}, \"mainEntity\": [{\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"What qualifies as negligence?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Negligence is failing to act with the care a reasonably careful person would use. 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