What is Proximate Cause?
The primary or legal cause of an injury that is sufficiently related to the harm to justify holding the defendant responsible, even if other factors also contributed.
Understanding Proximate Cause
Proximate cause requires that the injury be a foreseeable consequence of the defendant's actions. It is distinguished from actual cause (but-for causation) because it limits liability to harms that are within the scope of the risk created by the defendant's conduct. A defendant may be the actual cause of an injury but not the proximate cause if the harm was too remote or unforeseeable.
Examples
- 1Running a red light is the proximate cause of injuries in the resulting collision
- 2Leaving a wet floor unmarked is the proximate cause of a customer's fall
- 3A defective brake system is the proximate cause of a rear-end accident
Related Terms
Duty of Care
A legal obligation requiring a person or entity to exercise a reasonable level of caution and prudence to avoid causing foreseeable harm to others.
Breach of Duty
A failure to meet the applicable standard of care or to fulfill a legal obligation to act reasonably, which is a required element of a negligence claim.
Negligence
The failure to exercise the level of care that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in similar circumstances, resulting in harm to another person or their property.
Superseding Cause
An unforeseeable intervening event that breaks the chain of causation between the defendant's negligence and the plaintiff's injury, relieving the defendant of liability.
Assumption of Risk
A legal defense asserting that the plaintiff knowingly and voluntarily accepted the risks associated with a particular activity and therefore cannot recover damages for resulting injuries.
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