Legal Definitions - causa proxima

Causa Proxima

Causa proxima is a Latin term meaning "proximate cause." In legal contexts, it refers to the primary, direct, and foreseeable cause of an injury or damage. For a party to be held legally responsible for harm, their actions or inactions must not only be a cause of the harm but also the causa proxima – the cause that directly and foreseeably led to the negative outcome, without significant intervening events breaking the chain of causation. It's about identifying the most immediate and legally relevant cause in a sequence of events.

Here are some examples illustrating causa proxima:

• Example 1: Automobile Accident

  A driver is speeding and texting on their phone, causing them to swerve into another lane and collide with a car that was legally parked on the side of the road. The parked car sustains significant damage.

  How this illustrates causa proxima: The speeding and distracted driving are the causa proxima of the damage to the parked car. These actions directly and foreseeably led to the collision and subsequent damage. While other factors might exist (e.g., poor road conditions), the driver's negligent actions are the direct link to the harm.

• Example 2: Product Liability

  A manufacturer produces a batch of children's toys with a design flaw that causes small parts to easily detach. A child playing with one of these toys chokes on a detached part and requires emergency medical attention.

  How this illustrates causa proxima: The manufacturer's design flaw is the causa proxima of the child's injury. The flaw directly and foreseeably led to the part detaching and the child choking. The manufacturer's action (or inaction in correcting the flaw) is the immediate and legally relevant cause of the harm.

• Example 3: Property Negligence

  A landlord fails to repair a broken step on a common staircase in an apartment building despite multiple tenant complaints. A tenant subsequently trips on the broken step, falls, and breaks their arm.

  How this illustrates causa proxima: The landlord's failure to repair the broken step is the causa proxima of the tenant's broken arm. The unrepaired step directly and foreseeably caused the tenant to trip and fall, resulting in the injury. The landlord's negligence is the direct link in the chain of events leading to the harm.