negligence per se
Conduct that violates standards of care as established by statute or law.
Depending on state law, violating a statutory standard of care can be interpreted
as (1) conclusive proof of negligence, making the defendant automatically liable
without giving the defendant a chance to explain his or her actions, (2) presumptive
proof of negligence, making the defendant liable unless the defendant can rebut
the presumption of negligence by explaining the reasons for his or her actions,
or (3) evidence of negligence, which can be considered when deciding if the
defendant should be liable at all.