Gross Negligence
You're on the board of directors for a publicly traded corporation. You and your fellow board members, in hopes of heading off early for the holidays, rush through the investigatory process involved in a much-anticipated merger. As a board member, you have a duty to exercise the utmost care respecting decisions that affect the corporation and its shareholders. Failing to properly investigate a matter that affects their interests could be viewed as gross negligence supporting a breach of your ethical and legal duty of care.