Who is a tortfeasor?

A tortfeasor is defined as a party who commits a tort, which is a civil wrong that causes harm or loss to another individual, leading to legal liability. This concept is fundamental in tort law, as it identifies the individual responsible for the wrongful act that may give rise to a lawsuit for damages.

In this context, recognizing who a tortfeasor is helps clarify the roles within legal proceedings. For instance, in a case where someone's negligence results in injury to another, the negligent party would be considered the tortfeasor. This term is crucial for understanding legal responsibility and the potential for seeking reparations through the civil justice system.

Other roles mentioned in the options are distinct from that of a tortfeasor: a lawyer specializing in contract law does not engage specifically with torts, a party delivering a judgment in court acts as a decision-maker rather than an actor in the wrongdoing, and a court-appointed arbitrator facilitates dispute resolution but does not commit torts themselves. Thus, the emphasis on the tortfeasor as the party accused of a tort is essential to grasping the dynamics of legal accountability in tort law.