ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Negligence per se

Okay kiddo, imagine you are riding your bike in your neighborhood. You see a red stop sign that tells you to stop before crossing the street. This stop sign is a law that tells everyone on the road to be safe and avoid accidents.

Now imagine if someone does not stop at that red stop sign and causes an accident. That person broke the law and did something called "negligence," which means they were not being careful and were being reckless with their actions.

But what if that person wasn't just being careless, but they were also breaking a bigger law by being drunk while driving? That's where "negligence per se" comes in.

"Negligence per se" means that someone broke a law that was meant to protect everyone's safety, and they caused harm because of it. So in the example of the drunk driver, they broke the law by drinking alcohol and driving, which puts everyone else on the road in danger.

When someone causes harm because of "negligence per se," it's like they broke two laws at the same time. So in court, this makes it easier to prove that they were at fault and responsible for any harm they caused.

Basically, "negligence per se" means you can get in big trouble if you break a law that was meant to keep everyone safe and someone gets hurt because of your actions. So always follow the rules and be careful!