4 ms·

We already have the concept of "future harm" in law, though. You today are culpable if your negligence today kills people three weeks from now. The only really

• ping_pong 5y ago
  You aren't culpable today. You are culpable when the people die. You can't be charged for negligence causing death if those deaths haven't happened yet.
  • Pyramus 5y ago
    You definitely can. If you catch me poisoning your water and the water has been poisoned I will most certainly be charged with attempt to commit manslaughter. I wouldn't even need to actually have poisoned the water.
    • beerandt 5y ago
      Which is criminal- and codified via legislation. You can not, however, file a civil wrongful death case, or similar, until the person is actually injured/killed. Common law courts of equity require the damages/injury (for which you sue to seek equity) to be real and committed, not hypothetical or likely.
    • thaumasiotes 5y ago
      Attempted crimes aren't the most theoretically coherent part of the law. But they're better than you're making them out to be; you can't be guilty of "attempt to commit manslaughter" by virtue of your negligence.