fault
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fault
Responsibility or blame for a negative incident, damage, or misconduct. This term is often used in a legal context to clarify whether an action can be attributed to someone.
Der Unfall geschah ohne sein Verschulden.
The accident happened through no fault of his own.
through no fault of one's own
A fixed phrase expressing that someone is not to blame for a negative situation or damage and cannot be held responsible for it.
Er ist ohne eigenes Verschulden in diese Notlage geraten.
He got into this difficult situation through no fault of his own.
The word 'Verschulden' (fault) is the nominalization of the verb 'verschulden' (to be responsible for / to cause). It derives from 'die Schuld' (guilt, blame, debt) and describes the circumstance of being responsible for something.
Ein Verschulden des Piloten konnte nicht nachgewiesen werden.
Fault on the part of the pilot could not be proven.
'Verschulden' (fault) is a formal term used mainly in legal, insurance, and official language. In everyday speech, people are more likely to say 'Schuld' (fault / blame).
Die Versicherung prüft, ob ein Verschulden des Fahrers vorliegt.
The insurance company is checking whether there was fault on the part of the driver.
The word is often used with the prepositions 'ohne' (without) and 'durch' (through / due to). 'Ohne sein Verschulden' means that he is not at fault, while 'durch sein Verschulden' means that he was the cause.
Der Schaden entstand durch sein alleiniges Verschulden.
The damage occurred solely due to his fault.
guilt / debt
„Schuld“ generally refers to responsibility for a mistake or damage. „Verschulden“ refers to the same area, but is more formal and is often used in legal contexts when responsibility that can be attributed to someone is being assessed. „Schuld“ is usually appropriate in everyday life, while „Verschulden“ is more appropriate in a legal context.
Im Urteil stellte das Gericht Leons Verschulden am Unfall fest.
In its ruling, the court established Leon’s fault in the accident.
Im Gespräch über den Unfall sagte Leon, er trage die Schuld.
While discussing the accident, Leon said he was to blame.
