Legal Definitions - Proximate cause

Proximate cause is an actual cause that is legally sufficient to support liability. This means that although there may be many causes for an injury, only the causes that are directly related to the injury and necessary for it to occur can be held responsible.

For example, if a person is injured in a car accident, the proximate cause of the injury would be the negligent driving of the other driver. Even if there were other factors that contributed to the accident, such as poor road conditions or a malfunctioning traffic light, those factors would not be considered proximate causes because they were not directly related to the injury.

Another example would be if a person slips and falls on a wet floor in a grocery store. The proximate cause of the injury would be the failure of the store to clean up the spill or warn customers of the hazard. Even if the person was wearing shoes with poor traction or was not paying attention to where they were walking, those factors would not be considered proximate causes because they were not necessary for the injury to occur.

Overall, proximate cause is an important concept in determining liability for injuries and helps to ensure that only those who are directly responsible for an injury are held accountable.