What does transferred intent mean in a legal sense?

Transferred intent is a legal doctrine that applies in situations where an individual intends to harm one person but inadvertently causes harm to another. This concept is important in tort law and criminal law as it allows the intended harm to "transfer" to the unintended victim. For instance, if a person aims to strike one individual but accidentally hits another, the assailant can still be held liable for the injury to the second person based on the initially established intent to cause harm. This principle serves to ensure that individuals cannot escape liability simply due to a mistake regarding their target, thus holding them accountable for the consequences of their actions.

The other concepts do not align with the definition of transferred intent. Shared intent among multiple parties refers to conspiracy law, where multiple individuals agree to commit a crime together. An intent that is nullified by circumstance suggests that certain conditions negate a person's intention to commit a crime, which does not fit the framework of transferred intent. Finally, intent in a conspiracy relates to group dynamics in crime rather than the single individual's intent being redirected from one target to another.