Duty of care

Définition

A duty of care is the legal obligation to take reasonable care to avoid causing foreseeable harm to others or to their interests. In Dutch law it is context-dependent: it may flow from a contract, from a professional standard, or from the unwritten standards of proper social conduct that underpin tort liability. Breach of a duty of care is a key element of both contractual and tort claims.

Exemple

An advisor who fails to warn a client of an obvious risk may breach their professional duty of care.

Pourquoi c'est un risque pour l'entreprise

A duty of care can arise even without a written contract, meaning that advice given informally or services performed without a formal agreement still carry legal obligations. Professionals in advisory roles face heightened exposure because the standard of care is calibrated to their expertise, not the average person's. Breaching a duty of care can lead to tort claims from both contracting parties and third parties who relied on the professional's conduct.

Comment le gérer

• Document the advice or services you provide and the information available to you at the time, so you can demonstrate that you acted with appropriate care.
• Define the scope of your duty contractually: specify what you will and will not advise on, and to whom the advice is addressed.
• Maintain professional indemnity insurance calibrated to the scale of losses that could arise if your advice or service causes harm.
• Keep up to date with professional standards in your field, as the benchmark for "reasonable care" evolves with practice.

Références juridiques

• BW 6:162 Dutch Civil Code: wrongful act Droit néerlandais

Sauf mention contraire, les références renvoient au droit néerlandais (Burgerlijk Wetboek, le Code civil néerlandais) ; les instruments de l'UE tels que le RGPD s'appliquent dans toute l'UE. Il s'agit d'informations générales, pas de conseils juridiques. D'autres juridictions traitent ces concepts différemment. Vérifiez le texte en vigueur et votre situation avec un avocat qualifié.