Opinion ID: 1608539
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Factual Causation.

Text: Broadlawns asserts that the Estate failed to advance substantial evidence showing that its actions in fact caused the damages to Jillene. City of Cedar Falls, 617 N.W.2d at 17. It offers a series of facts that it believes interrupt the causal chain of events from Gerald's discharge to Jillene's death. No matter the number of events that occurred, however, the ultimate question in relation to this issue is whether Broadlawns' failure to notify Jillene of Gerald's discharge in fact led to her death. As the district court acknowledged, this issue is complicated by the fact that Jillene was unable to testify to her course of conduct leading up to her death. However, examining the circumstantial evidence in the case, as the district court did and as the jury did implicitly, we agree substantial evidence exists to support a finding that Jillene would not have been at the marital residence had she known Gerald was discharged and essentially free to return there himself. Therefore, but for Broadlawns' failure to notify her as promised, Jillene would not have been in a position where she could be injured. We believe that factual causation was established in this case by substantial, albeit circumstantial, evidence.