A tort is a civil wrong, other than breach of contract, that causes harm and gives rise to legal liability. In professional practice, the most commonly tested tort is negligence: failing to meet the required standard of care and thereby causing reasonably foreseeable harm. This is fundamentally non-contractual-someone may owe a duty of care even without a contract, and liability can extend to third parties affected by the professional's work. Option C correctly describes tort as a non-contractual breach of a duty of care. Option A describes negligent performance in a contractual context, which can ground a breach of contract claim, but that is not the definition of tort itself. Option B is incorrect because tort law is primarily judge-made (common law) rather than purely statutory (though statutes can modify or create specific civil causes of action). Option D is incorrect because professional liability insurance commonly covers certain tort claims (especially negligence), subject to policy terms and exclusions. Therefore, C is correct.