Course: Criminal Law
Gross negligence is a legal term used in the criminal law context to describe a high degree of carelessness or recklessness that falls short of intent but is more than mere negligence.
It is a legal standard that is used to determine criminal liability when an individual’s actions or failure to act causes harm to another person or property.
Gross negligence is a higher standard than simple negligence, which refers to a failure to exercise reasonable care. Gross negligence can be characterized as a conscious or voluntary disregard of the need to use reasonable care, which is likely to cause foreseeable harm. It is a type of criminal negligence that is more severe than regular negligence and is characterized by a recklessness or lack of care that is so pronounced that it shows a conscious disregard for the safety of others.