Intervening Cause

This lesson deals with the question of when and why an event that intervenes between the defendant's negligence and the plaintiff's injury may have the result that the defendant is relieved of liability for the injury.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of the lesson, students will be able to:

1. Analyze when and why an event that intervenes between the defendant's negligence and the plaintiff's injury may relieve the defendant of liability for the injury.
2. Discuss whether a subsequent event would be one of the risks the defendant should have foreseen when breaching the duty of care in the circumstances.
3. Explain the circumstances in which suicide may be a supervening cause.