ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Excusable negligence

Excusable negligence is when someone makes a mistake, but that mistake is not their fault. It's like when you accidentally drop your ice cream cone because the wind blew it out of your hand. It wasn't your fault that the wind blew, so it's excusable.

For adults, excusable negligence is a legal term that means someone made a mistake, but it's understandable because they didn't know any better or because something unexpected happened. For example, if a doctor accidentally prescribed the wrong medication because two medicine bottles look very similar, it could be considered excusable negligence because they had no reason to believe they were making a mistake.

However, it's important to understand that not all mistakes are excusable. If someone is careless or lazy and makes a mistake because they didn't take enough care, their mistake can't be excused. It's just like when you are told not to touch a hot stove, but you do it anyway because you weren't paying attention. That's not excusable because you were told not to do it and you still did it without thinking.

Overall, excusable negligence is a way to understand that sometimes people make mistakes even when they are trying to do their best. But it's only excusable when those mistakes are not the result of carelessness or laziness.