- wanton
- Reckless, heedless, malicious; characterized by extreme recklessness or foolhardiness; recklessly disregardful of the rights or safety of others or of consequences. In re Wegner, C.C.A.I11., 88 F.2d 899, 902.Means undisciplined, unruly, marked by arrogant recklessness of justice, feelings of others, or the like; willful and malicious. Lubbock Bail Bond v. Joshua, Tex.Civ. App., 416 S.W.2d 523, 525.In its ordinarily accepted sense connotes perverseness exhibited by deliberate and uncalled for conduct, recklessness, disregardful of rights and an unjustifiable course of action. Botto v. Fischesser, 174 Ohio St. 322, 189 N.E.2d 127, 130, 22 O.O.2d 380.See also reckless- wantonness@ wanton actOne done in malicious or reckless disregard of the rights of others, evincing a reckless indifference to consequences to the life, or limb, or health, or reputation or property rights of another, and is more than negligence, more than gross negligence, and is such conduct as indicates a reckless disregard of the just rights or safety of others or of the consequences of action, equivalent in its results to willful misconduct. Lustig v. U.M.C. Industries, Mo.App., 637 S.W.2d 55, 58@ wanton acts and omissionsThose of such character or done in such manner or under such circumstances as to indicate that a person of ordinary intelligence actuated by normal and natural concern for the welfare and safety of his fellowmen who might be affected by them could not be guilty of them unless wholly indifferent to their probable injurious effect or consequences. Pupke v. Pupke, 102 Colo. 337, 79 P.2d 290, 292.See also wanton act@ wanton and reckless misconductOccurs when a person, with no intent to cause harm, intentionally performs an act so unreasonable and dangerous that he knows, or should know, that it is highly probable that ; harm will result. Donnelly v. Southern Pac. Co., 18 Cal.2d 863, 118 P.2d 465, 469, 470.As used in punitive damages statute, consists of conduct that creates a substantial risk of harm to another and is purposely performed with an awareness of the risk and disregard of the consequences. Palmer v. A.H. Robins Co., Inc., Colo., 684 P.2d 187, 214.See also wanton misconduct@ wanton conductSee wanton misconduct@ wanton injuryInjury produced by conscious and intentional wrongful act, or omission of known duty with reckless indifference to consequences. It must be predicated upon actual knowledge of another's peril and a .) failure to take available preventative action knowing that such failure will probably result in injury. Rainey v. State, 31 Ala.App. 271, 17 So.2d 683, 686@ wanton misconductAct or failure to act, when there is a duty to act, in reckless disregard of rights of another, coupled with a consciousness that injury is a probable consequence of act or omission. Swain v. American Mut. Liability Ins. Co., C.C.A.La., 134 F.2d 886, 887.Term refers to intentional act of unreasonable character performed in disregard of risk known to him or so obvious that he must be taken to have been aware of it and so great as to make it highly probable that harm would follow and it is usually accompanied by conscious indifference to the consequences. Goss v. Baltimore & O. R. Co., C.A.Pa., 355 F.2d 649, 651.See also wanton and reckless misconduct@- wanton negligence@ wantonnessConscious doing of some act or the omission of some duty with knowledge of existing conditions and consciousness that, from the act or omission, injury will likely result to another. Mack v. Garrison, 51 Ala.App. 453, 286 So.2d 857, 860.Conscious failure by one charged with a duty to exercise due care and diligence to prevent an injury after the discovery of the peril, or under circumstances where he is charged with a knowledge of such peril, and being conscious of the inevitable or probable results of such failure. Stout v. Gallemore, 138 Kan. 385, 26 P.2d 573.A reckless or intentional disregard of the property, rights, or safety of others, implying, actively, a willingness to injure and disregard of the consequences to others, and, passively, more than mere negligence, that is, a conscious and intentional disregard of duty.See also recklessness- wanton@
Black's law dictionary. HENRY CAMPBELL BLACK, M. A.. 1990.