If you were hurt and plan to take legal action in order to seek compensation for your losses, you will need to be able to prove that the other party’s actions were the cause of your injuries. This legal principle is called causation. In this article, we’ll dive into causation, what it is, and how it applies to auto accidents, DUIs, and personal injury cases. 

Key Takeaways

• Causation is a relationship of cause and effect between two events
• In order for a party to be found responsible for somebody’s injuries, there must be causation
• There are two elements of causation: cause in fact and proximate cause
• Causation is a key element in auto accidents, DUIs, and personal injury claims among other areas of the law

What Is Causation?

In law, causation refers to the relationship of cause and effect between one event and another. It is what connects an individual’s actions with an outcome, such as an injury, for which they may be held legally responsible. 

Causation is one of the four elements of negligence that is required in order to hold somebody at fault for something. These four elements include:

• Duty of care - The defendant owed the plaintiff a duty of care 

• Breach of duty - The defendant did not meet their duty of care

• Causation - The breach of duty led to the plaintiff’s injuries
• Damages - The losses sustained in the incident

In short, a plaintiff must be able to prove, with evidence, that the defendant’s breach of their duty of care directly led to (caused) the relevant losses.

There are two elements of causation:

• Cause in fact - Proof that, if it weren’t for the defendant’s action, the result would not have happened
• Proximate cause - Proof that the injuries were a foreseeable result of the negligent person’s conduct

Causation is relevant in multiple areas of law, including the following.

Causation in Auto Accidents

When a party experiences loss as a result of a motor vehicle accident, they may be entitled to compensation from their insurance provider and/or the insurance provider of the at-fault party. In order to claim this compensation, the individual making the claim must be able to prove that the car accident was the cause of their injuries. 

If the plaintiff is arguing that there was another party at fault for the accident, they must be able to provide evidence to show that there is a direct line of cause and effect between the defendant’s negligent actions, or failure to act in a reasonable way, and their injuries. This evidence may come in the form of witness statements, photos, videos, police reports, medical records, and so on. 

Causation in DUIs

Causation is also a very important element in cases in which a person driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol causes injury or death to another party. In order for the intoxicated driver to be found to be legally at fault for the accident, the plaintiff must be able to provide evidence that proves that the defendant caused the plaintiff’s injuries. 

Simply demonstrating that they were intoxicated is not enough, as the defense may argue that the plaintiff caused the accident and/or drove unsafely, leading to their own injuries. Because causation is so key, it is important to work with an experienced lawyer who knows how to provide relevant evidence so that the intoxicated driver can be found to be at fault. 

Causation in Personal Injury Law

A final area of the law in which causation is important is personal injury law, which deals with cases like medical malpractice and aviation accidents. Like with auto accidents and DUI cases, in order to hold a party legally accountable for your personal injury, you must be able to prove their negligence. This means that you should be able to provide evidence that shows that the defendant’s negligent actions are the reason why you were injured.