Under the law, negligence is inattention that causes a person harm. Negligence can take two forms: action, such as a mason carelessly dropping a heavy brick off a scaffold; or failure to act, when a business owner disregards repairing a broken step on a stairway in a dimly lit corridor.

As directed, an auto-repair patron moved his car to a numbered parking spot. As he left his car, a dealership employee driving another vehicle failed to see him and ran over his foot. His crushed foot developed into a complex injury, damaging the peroneal nerve and causing constant pain, color and temperature changes, and loss of hair on his foot.  A former highly paid stockbroker, the injured man attempted to work for more than a year, but medications and burning pain forced him to stop. His attorney then sued the dealership, alleging its employee negligently failed to keep a proper lookout. The parties reached a significant settlement prior to trial.