What is the term used for the legal principle that can be applied when a person's conduct clearly violates a statute?

The term "negligence per se" refers to a legal doctrine that applies when an individual's actions are found to breach a specific statute or regulation. When a person’s conduct directly contradicts a law enacted to protect public safety or welfare, that violation itself constitutes negligence without requiring further proof of carelessness. This principle operates under the assumption that if a person violates a law that is designed to prevent certain harm, it can be inferred that they acted negligently.

This legal concept simplifies cases involving violations of safety regulations, as it allows the plaintiff to demonstrate that the defendant's actions were negligent solely by showing that a statute was violated. This can be particularly significant in personal injury cases where the violation of a safety statute directly correlates with the injury sustained.

In contrast, the other terms represent different legal concepts that do not pertain specifically to statutory violations. "Res ipsa loquitor" relates to situations where the nature of the accident implies negligence since the incident could not occur without someone's negligence. "Intentional infliction" refers to a different tort involving deliberate actions intended to cause emotional distress. "Proximate causation" deals with the relationship between an act and the resulting harm, focusing on whether the injury was a foreseeable outcome of the act.