To be liable in a legal sense simply means to be held legally responsible or obligated. For example, a defendant in a civil torts case may be liable to pay damages to the plaintiff if the court rules in favor of the plaintiff. [Last updated in June of 2023 by the Wex Definitions Team] wex COMMERCE commercial activities business law corporations LIFE EVENTS product liability law standards of tort liability THE LEGAL PROCESS courts legal practice/ethics civil procedure accidents and injuries business sectors commercial transactions legal education and practice wex definitions Keywords llcs-corporations-partnerships