Personal Injury Law- What Is Proximate Cause

Personal Injury law- What Is Proximate Cause

In any personal injury lawsuit, the plaintiff must prove proximate cause. Proximate cause is the event without which the accident would not have happened – the sine qua non.

Proximate cause is not necessarily the first event in a series of events that led to the plaintiff’s injuries, nor is it necessarily the event that happened immediately before the injury. Proximate cause has to do solely with causing an accident. As an example, if a speeding motorist crashes into another car and the driver in that vehicle is injured, the speeding motorist’s reckless driving would likely be considered the proximate cause of the plaintiff’s injuries. That is, if the driver had not been speeding, then the other driver would not have been hurt.personal injury law

However, proximate cause is not always so straightforward, as there can sometimes be multiple proximate causes to an accident. For example, consider a theoretical case wherein a pedestrian is struck by a drunk driver. Obviously, the drunk driver’s reckless action (driving while intoxicated) is one proximate cause of the pedestrian’s injuries. But Texas law allows victims injured by intoxicated persons to (in some cases) hold the bar or establishment that served the intoxicated person responsible for any damages that the intoxicated individual causes. In other words, if a bar or other establishment serves a person to the point of intoxication, that bar is thereby liable for any damages caused by the intoxicated person’s actions. This means that the bar where the driver got drunk in our example would also be a proximate cause of the victim’s injuries, and he or she could bring a lawsuit against the bar as well through a dram shop cause of action.

Whenever our firm takes a case, we conduct a thorough investigation of the details surrounding your accident. We work hard to identify every possible defendant so that you can be fully compensated for your injuries. We have a proven track record, with over twenty years of experience in all personal injury practice areas.

Insurance adjusters and defense law firms know who we are, and they often cooperate fully with our settlement demands, simply because they do not want to face our attorneys in court. In other words, we can get you back on your feet quickly so that you can get on with your life. So if you or someone you love has been injured in an accident due to another person’s negligence, contact our Texas personal injury attorneys today, and let us help you bring those responsible for your injuries to justice.

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