Civil Liability

What Does Civil Liability Mean?

A civil liability refers to the legal requirement to compensate another party for causing them some form of bodily injury or property damage. It differs from criminal liability; therefore, civil liabilities do not subject the at-fault party to criminal punishment. Instead, they must pay damages or monetary compensation to the party who suffered an injury as a result of their actions.

Insuranceopedia Explains Civil Liability

In terms of insurance, specific policies exist to cover civil liabilities; however, because of the broad nature of the term, they usually include many exclusions to avoid covering other liabilities, such as public or employer’s liability, covered by other types of liability insurance.

An example of a civil liability is a man who accidentally crashes his bicycle into a parked car and damages the body panels. In this case, he would have to pay damages to the car owner due to his civil liability. If he does not, the car owner could take him to court. If the court finds the man riding the bicycle responsible, it could force him to pay damages.