Legal Definitions - sole cause

Sole cause refers to the single, exclusive factor or event that directly and entirely brings about a particular outcome, without any other contributing factors playing a role. In legal contexts, identifying a sole cause is crucial because it assigns complete responsibility for the resulting harm or damage to that one specific action or omission. It implies that if this one factor had not occurred, the outcome would not have happened in the same way, and no other independent factor was also necessary for the outcome to occur.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Example 1: Automobile Accident

  A driver, while severely intoxicated, swerves across the center line on a clear, dry road and collides head-on with another vehicle that was traveling lawfully. The intoxicated driver's impairment and reckless driving were the sole cause of the collision.

  Explanation: In this scenario, no other factors such as road conditions, vehicle malfunction, or the other driver's actions contributed to the accident. The collision occurred exclusively because of the intoxicated driver's actions, making their negligence the only reason for the incident.

• Example 2: Product Liability

  A consumer purchases a new ladder, uses it exactly according to the manufacturer's instructions, and places it on a flat, stable surface. While climbing, a structural defect in one of the ladder's rungs causes it to snap, leading to the consumer falling and sustaining an injury. The manufacturing defect was the sole cause of the fall.

  Explanation: The consumer followed all safety guidelines, and the environment was safe. The injury was directly and exclusively caused by the inherent flaw in the product's design or construction, with no other external or user-related factors contributing to the incident.

• Example 3: Workplace Injury

  An employee working in a factory is injured when a piece of machinery malfunctions due to a specific, unaddressed maintenance issue that the employer was aware of but failed to repair. The employee was properly trained, followed all safety protocols, and was wearing all required personal protective equipment. The employer's failure to repair the known defect was the sole cause of the injury.

  Explanation: The employee's actions were not negligent, and no other environmental factors contributed to the injury. The incident occurred purely because of the employer's specific omission regarding machine maintenance, making that omission the exclusive reason for the harm.