Louisiana Private Investigator Licensing Practice Exam

Which of the following is considered an intentional tort?

1. Negligence

2. Assault

3. Defamation

4. Fraud

The correct answer is: Assault

Assault is considered an intentional tort because it involves a deliberate action that causes another person to have a reasonable apprehension of imminent harmful or offensive contact. The key characteristic of intentional torts is that the perpetrator intends to bring about a specific result, which in the case of assault is the fear or anticipation of harm in another individual. In contrast, negligence involves a failure to act with the care that a reasonably prudent person would exercise, and this usually occurs without intent to harm. Defamation, while it can involve intentional misconduct, often hinges on a failure to uphold reasonable standards of care regarding truthfulness, making it a hybrid but not purely an intentional tort in every circumstance. Fraud also involves intent, but it primarily pertains to deception for the purpose of financial or personal gain, and might be categorized differently based on the context, making it less straightforward than assault in this classification. Thus, among the options, assault distinctly represents actions taken with the intent to cause a reaction in another person, clearly placing it in the category of intentional torts.