Legal Definitions - immediate cause

Immediate cause refers to the last event in a chain of events that leads to a particular outcome. It may not necessarily be the primary cause, but it is the event that directly produces the result. For example, if a person falls down the stairs and breaks their leg, the immediate cause of the injury is the fall itself.

Other related terms include:

• But-for cause: The cause without which the event could not have occurred.
• Proximate cause: A cause that is legally sufficient to result in liability.
• Superseding cause: An intervening act or force that overrides the cause for which the original tortfeasor was responsible, thereby exonerating them from liability.

For example, if a person is driving recklessly and hits another car, causing injuries, the reckless driving is the proximate cause of the accident. However, if a tree falls on the car after the accident and causes further injuries, the falling tree may be considered a superseding cause that relieves the driver of liability for those additional injuries.