Torts 3--Causation Flashcards
What must a defendant’s conduct be confirmed as before it can be considered a proximate cause of the plaintiff’s injury?
A defendant’s conduct must be a cause in fact of an injury (as determined by a variety of tests) before the conduct can be considered as the proximate cause of such injury.
Torts>Causation>Actual Cause
What is the cause in fact in a torts case?
The cause in fact is also known in plain language as the actual cause of the injury.
Torts>Causation>Actual Cause
How is causation analyzed under the “but for” test?
The “but for” test determines actual causation by examining whether the injury would have occurred absent (or, “but for”) the behavior at issue.
Torts>Causation>Actual Cause>”But For” Test
How does the “But For” test apply to injurious situations with multiple concurrent causes?
In a case with multiple concurrent causes where the acts jointly caused the injury, but no injury would have occurred had any of the concurrent causes not occurred, each independent cause is considered an actual cause of the injury under the “But For” test.
Torts>Causation>Actual Cause>”But For” Test>Concurrent Causes
Under certain circumstances, the “but for” test is inadequate to determine causation in fact. When this occurs, what are the other two tests the courts must rely on?
1) Joint Causes - Substantial Factor Test
2) Alternative Causes Approach
Torts>Causation>Actual Cause>Additional Tests
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When is it sufficient to determine a defendant’s conduct was a “substantial factor” in causing an injury?
Where several causes commingle and bring about an injury—and any one alone would have been sufficient to cause the injury—it is sufficient if defendant’s conduct was a ““substantial factor”” in causing the injury
Torts>Causation>Actual Cause>Additional Tests>Joint Causes—Substantial Factor Test
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Under the alternative causes approach, who does the burden shift to?
The burden of proof shifts to the defendants
Does the “alternative causes” approach apply in Enterprise Liability Cases?
Yes. This concept has been extended in some cases to encompass industry groups
Torts>Causation>Actual Cause>Additional Tests>Alternative Causes Approach
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When does the burden of proof shift to defendants?
A problem of causation exists where two or more persons have been negligent, but uncertainty exists as to which one caused plaintiff’s injury.
Under the alternative causes approach, plaintiff must prove that harm has been caused to him by one of them (with uncertainty as to which one).
The burden of proof then shifts to defendants, and each must show that his negligence not the actual cause.
Causation>Actual Cause>Additional Tests>Burden of Proof Shifts to Defendants
How is causation applied in Enterprise Liability Cases?
This concept has been extended in some cases to encompass industry groups
EXAMPLE: Daughters of women who took the anti-miscarriage drug “DES” contracted cancer as a result of the drug manufacturer’s negligence. However, because the cancer appeared many years after the DES was ingested, it was usually impossible to determine which manufacturer of DES had supplied the drug taken by any particular plaintiff. Several courts have required all producers of DES unable to prove their noninvolvement to pay in proportion to their percentage of the market share.
Causation>Actual Cause>Additional Tests>Applied in Enterprise Liability Cases
What is proximate cause?
Proximate Cause also known as Legal Causation
In addition to being a cause in fact, the defendant’s conduct must also be a proximate cause of the injury.
Not all injuries “actually” caused by defendant will be deemed to have been proximately caused by his acts. Thus, doctrine of proximate causation is a limitation of liability and deals with liability or nonliability for unforeseeable or unusual consequences of one’s acts
Torts>Proximate Cause
What is the liability for proximate cause?
The defendant is liable for all harmful results
that are the normal incidents of and within the increased risk caused by his acts. This test is based on foreseeability.
Torts>Causation>Proximate Cause (Legal Causation)>General Rule of Liability
What is a direct cause for proximate cause?
A direct cause case is one where the facts present an uninterrupted chain of events
from the time of the defendant’s negligent act to the time of plaintiff’s injury.
Torts>Causation>Proximate Cause (Legal Causation)>General Rule of Liability>Direct Cause Cases
Is a defendant liable even if plaintiff was injured in an unusual manner and the harmful result was foreseeable?
Yes. If a particular harmful result was at all foreseeable from defendant’s negligent conduct, the unusual timing of cause and effect is irrelevant to defendant’s liability.
Torts>Causation>Proximate Cause (Legal Causation)>General Rule of Liability>Direct Cause Cases>Foreseeable Harmful Results–Defendant Liable
Unforeseeable Harmful Results
Most courts hold tat a defendant is NOT liable for harm where the defendant’s negligent conduct created a risk of harmful result but an entirely different and totally unforeseeable type of harmful result occurs
Ex: Driver is driving too fast on a busy highway threatning his passenger with injury, without warning the highway collapses because of deteriorated support beams. Passenger is seriously injured. Although driver’s neligent conduct was an actual cause of injury to passenger, courts would not hold driver liable for passenger’s injury.
Torts>Causation>Proximate Cause>Direct Cause>Unforeseeable Harmful Results -Defendant Not Liable
