1.
gross negligence
A legal term for a serious failure of care that goes well beyond ordinary 過失 (ordinary negligence). Used in civil and criminal law to denote a degree of carelessness so extreme that it borders on intent. Often the threshold above which liability cannot be disclaimed by contract.
重過失が認められた。
Gross negligence was found.
重過失による事故は保険が適用されない場合がある。
Accidents caused by gross negligence may not be covered by insurance.
裁判所は、安全確認を怠った運転手に重過失があったと判断した。
The court determined that the driver, who neglected to check for safety, was guilty of gross negligence.
Compound of 重 (heavy, grave) + 過失 (negligence). A specialized legal term distinguishing extreme carelessness from ordinary negligence; the boundary matters because liability disclaimers and certain insurance coverages do not apply in cases of 重過失.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 重過失致死: gross negligence resulting in death (a criminal charge)
- 重過失致傷: gross negligence resulting in injury
- 重過失が認められる: to be found guilty of gross negligence
SIMILAR / RELATED WORDS:
- 過失: (ordinary) negligence — the broader, baseline level of carelessness
- 軽過失: slight negligence — the opposite end of the spectrum
- 故意: intent; willfulness — distinguished from negligence; intentional wrongdoing is a separate category