An individual was seated next to me at a table. I accidently knocked over my glass of pop, spilling some of it on his computer. I have recei...

Question

An individual was seated next to me at a table. I accidently knocked over my glass of pop, spilling some of it on his computer. I have received a letter from his insurance company saying I may be legally liable for damages ($750). Am I? If so, why? It would be similar to bumping into someone by mistake and they drop their computer, damaging it. Purely and accident. Thanks for your time

Answer

You seem to think people are only liable for things they do on purpose. That's not true. You can also be held liable for something you did accidentally, if the resulting harm was caused by your negligence. Negligence, in turn, is the breach of a legal duty. (I'm oversimplifying a bit for the sake of clarity.)

Not all accidents are caused by negligence, but many are. I can't tell whether yours was or not. But if you were careless with your drink and your carelessness is what caused the spill, then you may well be liable.