A load-driving circuit for receiving a supply of power from a power source and driving a load, wherein the load-driving circuit is provided with: a high-side switching element, a low-side switching element, a high-side current detection circuit connected in parallel to the high-side switching element, the high-side current detection circuit detecting a high-side driving current, and a fault detection circuit for detecting the fault state of the load-driving circuit from the output result of the high-side current detection circuit. The high-side current detection circuit is provided with a high-side sense switching circuit operating in response to a gate signal that is different from the high-side switching element, the high-side sense switching circuit comprising a device of the same type as the high-side switching element. The output result of the high-side current detection circuit, the gate signal of the high-side switching element, and the gate signal of the high-side sense switching element are input, and the fault states are detected apart from each other when the connection terminal between the load-driving circuit and the load is in a state of short circuit with the positive electrode side of the power source or in a state of short circuit with the negative electrode side of the power source.