Which term describes money damages awarded for a civil wrong?

• A. Criminal liability
• B. Direct liability
• C. Tort liability
• D. Contributory negligence

Answer: (C)

Damages awarded for a civil wrong fall under tort liability. A tort is a civil wrong that breaches a duty owed to others, and the typical remedy is money paid to the injured party to compensate for harm. This is different from criminal liability, which involves state-imposed punishment for crimes rather than compensation to a victim. Contributory negligence is a defense that can reduce recovery if the plaintiff helped cause the harm, not the term for the remedy itself. Direct liability describes who is responsible for the wrongdoing, but the concept that ties the civil wrong to monetary compensation is tort liability.