What distinguishes negligence from simple mistakes by engineers?

The distinction between negligence and simple mistakes by engineers primarily hinges on the concept of duty of care and the standard of care expected in a professional context. Negligence involves a failure to meet that standard, resulting in harm or damage due to a lack of reasonable care or proper conduct.

Not every error in judgment made by an engineer qualifies as negligence. For a mistake to be characterized as negligent, it must violate the accepted standards of practice within the engineering profession. This means the error must not only be a mistake but also demonstrate a lack of due diligence or a failure to act in accordance with what is considered reasonable behavior by a competent professional in similar circumstances.

In simpler terms, an engineer might make a mistake based on a judgment call or situational misinterpretation that does not rise to the level of negligence, provided that they acted in a manner consistent with the norms of their profession. The key element here is the failure to fulfill the professional duty of care, which is what differentiates negligence from unintentional mistakes or lapses in judgment.