Legal Definitions - CAUSE OF ACTION

A cause of action refers to the legal grounds or basis upon which a lawsuit can be brought. It is a set of facts that, when proven, demonstrates that a legal right of one party has been violated by another, entitling the injured party to seek a remedy from a court. Essentially, it's the specific legal claim or theory that allows someone to sue.

It's not merely a grievance or a complaint; rather, a cause of action exists when a situation aligns with established legal principles (such as contract law, negligence law, or property law) that recognize a right to seek a remedy for the harm suffered.

Here are some examples illustrating different types of causes of action:

• Example 1: Breach of Contract

  A small business owner hires a marketing agency to run a three-month digital advertising campaign, with a signed contract specifying a guaranteed minimum number of leads per month. After two months, the agency has delivered only a fraction of the promised leads and has stopped responding to the business owner's inquiries.

  In this scenario, the business owner has a cause of action for breach of contract. The operative facts are the existence of a valid contract, the marketing agency's failure to fulfill its contractual obligations (not delivering the guaranteed leads), and the resulting financial harm to the business. These facts, under contract law, provide a legal basis for the business owner to sue the agency for damages.

• Example 2: Negligence (Personal Injury)

  While shopping at a grocery store, a customer slips on a puddle of spilled milk that had been on the floor for over an hour without any warning signs or attempts by staff to clean it up. The customer falls and breaks their wrist, requiring medical treatment and time off work.

  The customer has a cause of action for negligence against the grocery store. The facts include the store's duty to maintain a safe environment for shoppers, their breach of that duty by failing to promptly address a known hazard, the direct link between the puddle and the fall, and the resulting injury and financial losses. These facts establish a legal basis under tort law for the customer to seek compensation for their injuries.

• Example 3: Property Damage

  A homeowner discovers that a construction crew working on an adjacent property accidentally damaged their underground sprinkler system and a portion of their garden fence while excavating, despite clear property markers being present.

  The homeowner has a cause of action for property damage. The facts involve the construction crew's actions causing harm to the homeowner's property without permission, violating the homeowner's right to peaceful enjoyment and integrity of their land. This situation provides the homeowner with a legal basis to sue the construction company for the cost of repairs to the sprinkler system and fence, as well as any other related damages.

It's important to note that while "cause of action" is sometimes used informally to mean a lawsuit itself, its precise legal meaning refers to the specific legal justification or grounds that allow a party to bring a case to court.