Convicted inmate Pat is a passenger in a state prison van that rear-ended another vehicle on a state highway. Pat suffers injuries and seeks compensation from the state. Pat's best chance to recover from the state would be in the form of: A. a civil rights right claim for a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment. B. a habeas corpus action alleging confinement under illegal conditions. C. a state tort action alleging negligent injury by a state employee. D. a civil rights claim for violation of the Eighth Amendment