Q&A: Injuring Another Person Unintentionally
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Injuring Another Person Unintentionally
Question
Good evening, Rabbi!
I was riding an electric scooter on the road at a reasonable speed in a place where there was no crosswalk. Suddenly a girl jumped into the road; I hit her and injured her. Am I liable under the category of a person who causes damage / injures another?
Thank you very much!
Answer
These liabilities are determined by civil law, not by Jewish law. In principle, a person who causes damage is liable even in cases of circumstances beyond his control, but here there is room to exempt him on the grounds that she harmed herself. The question is whether that can be said in the case of a young girl. But as stated, the law is what determines it.