Which of the following are the elements of negligence?

The elements of negligence are duty, breach, causation, and damages, which are essential for establishing a negligence claim.

Duty refers to the legal obligation owed by one party to another, typically requiring a person to act with a certain standard of care to avoid causing harm. Breach occurs when that duty is not met, meaning the person failed to conform to the required standard of care. Causation has two components: actual cause (or "cause-in-fact"), which determines whether the breach of duty directly caused the plaintiff's injury, and proximate cause, which addresses whether the harm was a foreseeable result of the breach. Finally, damages refer to the actual losses suffered by the plaintiff due to the breach, which can be economic (like medical bills) or non-economic (like emotional distress).

The correct identification of these elements is fundamental in tort law, as proving each element is necessary for a plaintiff to succeed in a negligence claim. Understanding how these components interconnect and their role in establishing liability is crucial for any legal professional working in tort law.