What type of cause is associated with negligence?

Negligence is fundamentally linked to the concept of proximate cause, which refers to the primary cause that is legally recognized as leading to the injury or harm suffered by the plaintiff. In negligence cases, proximate cause is used to establish that the defendant's conduct was closely enough connected to the injury that it can be considered a legal cause of that injury. This means that for a claim of negligence to be valid, it must not only be shown that the defendant’s actions contributed to the harm but also that those actions were the foreseeable cause of that harm.

When evaluating a negligence claim, the court typically looks for a direct relationship between the negligent behavior and the resulting damage. This is where proximate cause plays a pivotal role — it helps to determine whether the harm was a natural and probable consequence of the negligent act. By establishing proximate cause, it becomes easier to hold an individual or entity accountable for their failure to exercise reasonable care, which directly resulted in injury to another party.