Intervening cause - Wikipedia Intervening cause This article does not cite any sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( December 2009 ) Part of the common law series Tort law Intentional torts Assault Battery False imprisonment Intentional infliction of emotional distress Transferred intent Property torts Trespass land chattels Conversion Detinue Replevin Trover Defenses Assumption of risk Comparative negligence Contributory negligence Consent Necessity Statute of limitations Self - defense Defense of others Defense of property Shopkeeper 's privilege Negligence Duty of / standard of care Proximate cause Res ipsa loquitur Calculus of negligence Rescue doctrine Duty to rescue Negligent infliction of emotional distress Employment - related Entrustment Malpractice legal medical Liability torts Product liability Quasi-tort Ultrahazardous activity Nuisance Public nuisance Rylands v Fletcher Dignitary torts Defamation Invasion of privacy False light Breach of confidence Abuse of process Malicious prosecution Alienation of affections Criminal conversation Seduction Breach of promise Economic torts Fraud Tortious interference Conspiracy Restraint of trade Liability and remedies Last clear chance Eggshell skull Vicarious liability Volenti non fit injuria Ex turpi causa non oritur actio Neutral reportage Damages Injunction Conflict of tort laws Joint and several liability Comparative responsibility Market share liability Duty to visitors Trespassers Licensees Invitees Attractive nuisance Other common law areas Contracts Criminal law Evidence Property Wills, trusts, and estates Law portal An intervening cause is an event that occurs after a tortfeasor 's initial act of negligence and causes injury / harm to a victim. 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 is an unforeseeable intervening cause. 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. For example, if a defendant had carelessly spilled gasoline near a pile of cigarette butts in an alley behind a bar, the fact that a bar patron later carelessly threw a cigarette butt into the gasoline would be deemed a foreseeable intervening cause, and would not absolve the defendant of tort liability. However, if the bar patron intentionally threw the cigarette butt into the gasoline because he wanted to see it ignite, this intentional act would likely be deemed unforeseeable, and therefore superseding. 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. 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 is working in the hole. Then, a driver -- who negligently failed to take his medication before driving and therefore does not see clearly -- drives into the unmarked hole and injures contractor B. Contractor A will still be liable for the damage to contractor B despite the driver 's negligence in not taking medication. This is because, even though the negligent act of the driver is not foreseeable, the fact of injury by a driver is foreseeable ( i.e., a car falling in because there is no guard ). See also Proximate cause References Jump up ^ Derdiarian v. Felix Contracting Corp., 51 N.Y. 2d 308, 434 N.Y.S. 2d 166 ( NY Ct App, 1980 ) ; McCoy v. American Suzuki Motor Corp., 136 Wash. 2d 350, 961 P. 2d 952 ( Sup Ct. Wash 1998 ) External links Intervening Cause at The Free Dictionary ( 1 ) This legal term article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Intervening_cause&oldid=726119925 '' Categories : Tort law Legal terminology stubs Hidden categories : Articles lacking sources from December 2009 All articles lacking sources All stub articles Talk About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 20 June 2016, at 04 : 50 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: when may an intervening cause absolve a defendant of criminal responsibility
Answer: only if the event is deemed a superseding cause