} { Proximate cause occurs when the at-fault party’s actions occur in an unbroken, direct sequence of events, without the presence of a superseding cause, and causes your accident or injury directly. "@type": "Answer", This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. "acceptedAnswer": { It is reasonably foreseeable to the defendant that you may risk additional collisions in this situation, since you will need to exit your vehicle after an accident regardless. This cause is unforeseeable and breaks the chain of proximate cause. He or she could point to the negligence of the city government as a defense. In these jurisdictions intervening cause describes any cause that comes between a defendant's conduct and the resulting injury, and an intervening cause that relieves a defendant of liability is called a superseding cause. For example, assume that contractor A was responsible for fencing or marking a hole in the ground and negligently fails to do so while contractor B … Now, suppose Harold only clipped Allison’s car, causing negligible injuries, but causing her to lose control. If the intervening cause is foreseeable, however, the defendant will still be liable. The contact form sends information by non-encrypted email, which is not secure. This scenario will not break the chain of proximate cause. Superseding cause might be thought of as being a step above intervening cause. See more. the intervening or superseding act is just one factor in determining if an. Another incident could interrupt the chain of events between one person’s negligence and another’s injury, potentially removing their liability. ", An intervening cause is a separate action that breaks the direct connection between the actions of the defendant and a loss or injury to another person. In addition to Kitter, which was used as an example above, another example of superseding intervening cause is Schultz v. Brogen. Accidents don’t occur in a void, so there are frequently additional factors that need to be considered. We serve clients throughout Illinois, including, but not limited to, those in the following localities: Cook County including Chicago, Glencoe, Glenview, La Grange, Northbrook, Oak Park, Palos Park, River Grove, Skokie, Western Springs, Wilmette, and Winnetka; DuPage County including Downers Grove, Elmhurst, Hinsdale, Naperville, Oak Brook, Villa Park, West Chicago, and Wheaton; and Lake County including Buffalo Grove, Deerfield, Highland Park, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, and Libertyville. However, since his act of driving drunk and Allison’s loss of control would be reasonably expected to result in an injury, the collision with Robert would be considered an intervening cause, but not superseding. Superseding cause is when an independent event occurred during an accident that keeps the negligent party (the defendant) safe from liability. Superseding Cause Superseding cause is a defense to negligence. }] Some jurisdictions use two terms to define the intervening cause doctrine: intervening cause and superseding cause. ", Since the unlikely act of piling snow on the roof couldn’t have been foreseen to cause an injury, it would likely be considered a superseding cause, and Jim would dodge liability. Change the example so that Henry pulls out a knife and chases Mary out of the garage. (Get the basics on negligence in a personal injury case .) Those who are responsible for superseding causes assume liability that would otherwise go to those who caused the proximate cause.

If a superseding event exists, you may be able to file a claim against the other party who shares liability for your injuries -- personal injury lawsuits allow you to name multiple defendants. Some jurisdictions use two terms to define the intervening cause doctrine: intervening cause and superseding cause. As she veers into the other lane, Robert, who is driving a truck going the opposite direction, smashes into her, causing severe injuries and vehicle damage. You can file a personal injury claim if you can establish the presence of proximate cause in your lawsuit. If the at-fault party owed you a duty of care at the time of the accident, he or she is legally responsible for paying your damages. You cannot establish proximate cause if another superseding cause is present. "text": "You cannot establish proximate cause if another superseding cause is present. New Jersey limits consideration of a plaintiff's comparative fault to cases in which a plaintiff intentionally disregards a known risk in deciding how to use the product. Example of Superseding Cause. Professors throw these terms around as if they are household words. The proper test to determine whether an incident is a superseding intervening cause is the substantial contributing cause test, not the “but for” test. },{ Your lawyer will carefully evaluate your claim and all pieces of evidence to determine your optimal pathway forward." In this example, the insurer would have to show that Sally’s initial back injury at work was not a substantial … },{ An intervening cause may break the connection between the injury and the defendant’s action, and thus destroy a negligence claim. In order for the intervening cause to be deemed superseding and relieve the tortfeasor of liability, both the act/event and the injury must be unforeseeable. } Superseding. A few months after moving in, the bathroom ceiling collapses on her, showering her with plaster, wood, snow, and ice. In other words, an unforeseeable or improbable intervening cause will constitute a superseding cause, and will allow a defendant to escape liability. There just so happened to be a small crack that had developed a few years back, allowing water to seep in, but not enough to make a visible leak in Margaret’s bathroom. Proximate cause and superseding cause are two legal concepts that are necessary to establish negligence — which may interfere with each other. In some jurisdictions, an intervening cause that removes liability is called a superseding cause. To solidify the role of negligence in your personal injury claim, you will need to prove the at-fault party’s actions actually caused your injuries. A few months after moving in, the bathroom ceiling collapses on her, showering her with plaster, wood, snow, and ice. Example of an Intervening Superseding Cause Available under Creative Commons-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. You will need to provide sufficient evidence showing the at-fault party owed you a duty of care, breached that care, and caused your injuries and damages. For example, say you are in a car accident with a driver who ran a stop sign while you were passing through the intersection… intentional torts of third persons (i.e., assault, battery, false imprisonment). If it was only Jim’s negligence that caused the accident, then he would likely be held liable for Margaret’s injuries. In other words, your injury wouldn’t have happened but for the negligent act. n. the same as an "intervening cause" or "supervening cause," which is an event which occurs after the initial act leading to an accident and substantially causes the accident. A superseding cause is any force which, by its intervention in the sequence of events leading from the defendant's negligence to the plaintiff's injury, legally prevents the defendant from being held liable for the injury even though his negligence has been a substantial factor in bringing the injury about. intervening force is a new and independent superseding cause.” ... harm was due to a superseding cause, is, in reality, a finding that the cause. Understanding Independent Intervening Causes. If the intervening cause and its results could not have been foreseen, it is considered to be a superseding cause. A superseding cause occurs if another event happened during an accident that protects the at-fault party from being liable for the injuries you sustained during the event. These types of scenarios typically involve a high level of ambiguity, so it’s important to have a lawyer on your side who is able to navigate the process intelligently. A superseding cause sufficient to become the proximate cause of the final result and relieve defendant of liability for his original negligence, arises only when an intervening force was unforeseeable and may be described, with the benefit of hindsight, as extraordinary. During the COVID-19 crisis, Colburn Law is working and available to discuss your case with you. Superseding Cause Superseding Cause; Superseding Cause Definition. Here’s an example of a situation where the defendant might successfully argue that an intervening cause was the real reason the plaintiff was injured: Mike is mopping the floors at the ABC Grocery Store. A defendant's superseding intervening cause argument was characterized by that court as "nothing more than an improper attempt to inject comparative negligence principles into this strict product liability action." However, if you exit your vehicle after the same accident and another car drives by and hits you, this is not a superseding cause. In this example, superseding cause may enable Manny to escape liability for the horse’s demise. For example, say you are in a car accident with a driver who ran a stop sign while you were passing through the intersection. "text": "Proximate cause occurs when the at-fault party’s actions occur in an unbroken, direct sequence of events, without the presence of a superseding cause, and causes your accident or injury directly. As a result, intervening cause may be used as a legal defense in a civil lawsuit. For example, suppose Margaret moves into a top-floor apartment. An intervening cause will generally absolve the tortfeasor of liability for the victim's injury only if the event is deemed a superseding cause. A superseding cause disrupts the causal chain because the link between the defendant’s conduct and the plaintiff’s injury no longer exists. Superseding Cause Example in Negligent Homicide "@type": "Question", Under most circumstances, Harold would obviously be held liable for any damages caused. "name": "Can You File a Personal Injury Claim? Find out how much your case could be worth. A superseding cause is an unforeseeable intervening cause. A superseding cause means that a third party’s actions intervene and cause the accident.

Contact a Washington personal injury attorney as soon as possible following your accident to determine your next steps. When it comes to personal injury cases, there is often a high level of ambiguity. A superseding cause occurs if another event happened during an accident that protects the at-fault party from being liable for the injuries you sustained during the event. "acceptedAnswer": { By contrast, a foreseeable intervening cause typically does not break the chain of causality, meaning that the tortfeasor is still responsible for the victim's injury—unless the event leads to an unforeseeable result. You exit the vehicle and trip over a pothole that you did not see on the roadway, breaking your leg. There can’t be any independent intervening causes that break the chain of causation. When he finishes mopping, he negligently leaves the bucket of water sitting in … In other words, it is not enough for the insurer to argue that but for Sally falling on the ice at home, she would not have needed back surgery. Review the example with Henry and Mary in Example of Legal Causation. "acceptedAnswer": { Since the collision with Robert caused the highest degree of injury, Harold claims superseding cause in order to avoid injury. "mainEntity": [{ ", "@type": "Question", Hiring a Seattle personal injury attorney to evaluate your claim and determine your best legal options can help you determine who you can file your lawsuit against and whether or not you have grounds to file.

This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements between you and the Company relating to the subject of your personal services and severance benefits, including the letter agreement dated September 14, 1993, which is hereby terminated.The provisions of this Agreement may only be amended by written instrument signed by you and a member of the Board of Directors. Sparks from the fire cause Petrol's truck to explode, sending the fire on the way to Rancher's barns and home, which burn down. Please do not include any confidential or sensitive information in a contact form, text message, or voicemail. This cause is unforeseeable and breaks the chain of proximate cause." The intervening cause must occur between the defendant’s negligent act and the plaintiff’s injury, and it must have caused injury to the plaintiff. All personal injury claims rely on the presence of negligence, which involves proving proximate cause. "@context": "https://schema.org", "name": "What Is the Proximate Cause? An intervening event, occurring after the alleged tortfeasor’s act, that is legally deemed to override the tortfeasor’s act as the cause of the injury and, consequently, to relieve the tortfeasor from liability for such injury. }. "@type": "Question", Learn why they are important and how to use them on an exam. What to Do When Injured Falling on An Uneven Sidewalk or Street, The Importance of Police Reports After an Accident in Seattle. In this case, the defendant is not held liable for the accident. This cause is unforeseeable and breaks the chain of proximate cause. "@type": "Answer", Law students have, for eons, felt the pain of “superseding” versus “intervening”. However, after some investigation, it’s found that the collapse was actually due to some kids who’d sneaked up onto the roof and piled all the snow buildup over Margaret’s bathroom. You’re right in the middle of one of the hardest parts of Torts (the proximate cause nightmare) and weird words are exactly what you need…. She sues the landlord Jim for her injuries, claiming poor maintenance of the property. Your lawyer will carefully evaluate your claim and all pieces of evidence to determine your optimal pathway forward. If, however, either the intervening cause or its results could have been anticipated, then the defendant can still be considered at fault for the accident. "text": "All personal injury claims rely on the presence of negligence, which involves proving proximate cause. Cause in fact: This element refers to the connection between your injury and the conduct of the at-fault party. The high winds and abandoned refrigerator in this example are a superseding cause – something that simply could not have been foreseen, and which occurred after Manny put the horse into a damaged pen. Contact a Washington personal injury attorney as soon as possible following your accident to determine your next steps. The Agreement supersedes all prior or contemporaneous negotiations, commitments, agreements, and writings, and expresses the entire agreement between the parties with respect to Executive’s employment by the Company, provided, however, the terms of any Benefit Plans will remain applicable to the particular Benefit Plan, except as expressly modified herein. Superseding Effect. "@type": "Answer", superseding definition: 1. present participle of supersede 2. to replace something, especially something older or more…. If a superseding event exists, you may be able to file a claim against the other party who shares liability for your injuries — personal injury lawsuits allow you to name multiple defendants. After some time, the weight of the snow and ice combined with the water damage from the leak to cause Margaret’s bathroom ceiling to collapse. Who Is at Fault in a Car Accident Changing Lanes? An intervening cause is any event that occurs after the defendant’s actions and caused harm to the plaintiff. To prove a Washington personal injury case, you will need to establish the presence of negligence in your accident. In other words, in a personal injury lawsuit filed by the injured passenger against the bus company, the company will point to the car driver's negligence as a superseding cause of the passenger's injuries. Hart David Carson LLP has the experience needed to help you recover what you’re owed, so contact us to review your case. A superseding cause is a cause of an injury that did not set the initial sequence of events in motion, but happened after the proximate cause and yet is still responsible for the injury. Click here to learn more. Legal causation: This element involves the question of the at-fault party’s responsibility for his or her conduct. Usually intervening causes are actions by a third party or natural occurrence that alter the circumstances of accident. A superseding cause is an unforeseeable intervening cause. She sues the landlord Jim for … Suppose Allison is driving along a city road and is rear-ended by Harold, who is a tad drunk. In that case, one defendant had gone into a ditch, and another defendant pulled the car out, resulting in both vehicles facing east on the south side of the highway. Learn more. This would be an example of an unforeseeable superseding cause that breaks the chain of causation, and the at-fault driver in your accident would not be liable for the damages resulting from your broken leg. What Happens when a Cause is determined to be an Independent or Superseding Cause? The injury could not have happened if not for the at-fault party’s actions. } Here’s another example. "name": "What Is the Superseding Cause? Information to Ask for During a Business Acquisition. … Submitting a contact form, sending a text message, making a phone call, or leaving a voicemail does not create an attorney-client relationship. "@type": "FAQPage", To solidify the role of negligence in your personal injury claim, you will need to prove the at-fault party’s actions actually caused your injuries." A superseding cause occurs if another event happened during an accident that protects the at-fault party from being liable for the injuries you sustained during the event. Hiring a Seattle personal injury attorney to evaluate your claim and determine your best legal options can help you determine who you can file your lawsuit against and whether or not you have grounds to file. Your case may involve more than one proximate cause, and as a result, your case will become more complex. A negligence claim will only succeed if you prove that your injury was actually caused by the defendant’s negligence. In these jurisdictions intervening cause describes any cause that comes between a defendant's conduct and the resulting injury, and an intervening cause that relieves a defendant of liability is called a superseding cause. For example, the culpability of the third person committing. Example of Superseding Cause For example, suppose Margaret moves into a top-floor apartment. No Fees Unless We Win   (206) 919-3215, Posted in Personal Injury on June 5, 2020. This alone is not enough to absolve the defendant of all liability, but it may do so under certain circumstances. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Most people chose this as the best definition of superseding: Present participle of sup... See the dictionary meaning, pronunciation, and sentence examples. Supersede definition, to replace in power, authority, effectiveness, acceptance, use, etc., as by another person or thing. You can file a personal injury claim if you can establish the presence of proximate cause in your lawsuit.

Like an intervening cause, a superseding cause occurs between the defendant’s action and the plaintiff’s injury, and it is also responsible for the injury. There are two types of intervening causes: foreseeable and unforeseeable.

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