Intervening Causes

Definition

Intervening causes refer to events or actions that occur after a defendant's initial act and that contribute to the harm or outcome in question. These causes can either break the chain of causation or continue it, affecting the defendant's liability for the resulting consequences. Understanding intervening causes is crucial in analyzing whether the original act was a direct cause of the outcome and how various factors may influence criminal responsibility.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Intervening causes can be categorized as either dependent (continuing the chain of causation) or independent (breaking the chain), which impacts liability differently.
2. If an intervening cause is deemed to be foreseeable, it may not relieve the original actor of liability.
3. Medical treatment can sometimes be considered an intervening cause, especially if it complicates or worsens a victim's condition.
4. Acts of nature, like a storm or earthquake, may also be classified as intervening causes if they significantly impact the outcome of an act.
5. The concept is particularly important in tort law, but it also plays a significant role in criminal law when determining accountability for outcomes.

Review Questions

• How do intervening causes influence the determination of criminal liability?
  • Intervening causes can significantly impact whether a defendant is held criminally liable for a given outcome. If an intervening cause occurs after the defendant's act but is foreseeable and not independently sufficient to cause harm, it may not break the chain of causation. On the other hand, if an unforeseen or independent intervening cause occurs, it may absolve the defendant of liability by breaking this chain. Therefore, understanding these distinctions is key in evaluating culpability.
• In what scenarios might medical treatment be considered an intervening cause, and how does this affect a defendant's liability?
  • Medical treatment becomes an intervening cause when it alters or complicates the original injury caused by the defendant's actions. If a victim's condition worsens due to negligent medical care rather than the original act, this could potentially absolve the defendant from liability. However, if the medical treatment was reasonably foreseeable and did not independently cause harm, the defendant may still be held responsible. This illustrates how critical it is to analyze all contributing factors when assessing liability.
• Evaluate how understanding intervening causes can impact legal outcomes in cases involving unforeseen events like natural disasters.
  • Understanding intervening causes is vital when analyzing cases involving unforeseen events such as natural disasters. If such an event occurs after a defendant's act and significantly contributes to the harm or outcome, courts must determine whether this event was foreseeable. If it's deemed a superseding cause, it can absolve the defendant of liability. This evaluation impacts legal outcomes by shaping how responsibility is assigned, ultimately influencing verdicts and potential damages awarded.

Related terms

Proximate Cause: A legal concept that refers to an event that is sufficiently related to an injury to be held legally liable for that injury.

Superseding Cause: An intervening event that occurs after the defendant's action and is so significant that it absolves the defendant of liability for the resulting harm.

Causation: The relationship between cause and effect, which establishes whether a defendant's actions led to the outcome in a legal context.