In terms of tort law, what is the responsibility of a bailee?

In the context of tort law, a bailee is someone who receives possession of personal property from another, known as the bailor, for a specific purpose under a bailment agreement. The primary responsibility of a bailee is to exercise ordinary care with the bailed item, which means taking reasonable precautions to safeguard it while it is in their possession. This standard of care is often assessed based on the circumstances and the value of the item being bailed.

If a bailee fails to exercise this ordinary care, they can be held liable for negligence if the item is damaged or lost as a result of their failure to protect it. This responsibility signifies that a bailee does not have an absolute guarantee to avoid all risks, but rather must act reasonably to prevent harm to the item.

The other options relate to responsibilities that either exceed the scope of typical bailee duties or impose unnecessary obligations. While a bailee should indeed take care of the item, they are not obligated to ensure the item is returned in exactly the same condition, provided they have exercised ordinary care. Similarly, while it may be prudent for a bailee to consider insurance, it is not typically a legal requirement to purchase insurance for the bailed item. Additionally, avoiding all risks is unrealistic