Opinion ID: 1335818
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: intervening efficient cause

Text: Because the plaintiff's decedent was not a person entitled to rely on the unattended motor vehicle statute, and because the defendant did not willfully or wantonly cause the death of the plaintiff's decedent, we have sufficient grounds to affirm the decision of the trial court in granting the motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict, and our discussion could end here. However, because the trial court felt compelled to grant the motion based on the absence of proximate cause, we will discuss the status of the law on the proximate cause issue for informational purposes. We find some authority to support the trial court's granting of the motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict on the ground that the negligence of the thief in driving the stolen automobile in such a manner that caused the death of the plaintiff's decedent was an intervening efficient cause that interrupted the chain of causation between the defendant's act in allowing his keys to be conveniently available to facilitate the theft of the automobile and the death of the plaintiff's decedent. Generally, a willful, malicious, or criminal act breaks the chain of causation. See Roadway Express, Inc. v. Piekenbrock, 306 N.W.2d 784, 785 (Iowa 1981) (recognizing that other states have denied liability on the grounds that failure to remove the key in itself, although negligent, is not the proximate cause of the injuries resulting from the thief-driver's tortious conduct); see also Anderson v. Theisen, 231 Minn. 369, 43 N.W.2d 272, 274 (1950). Some jurisdictions have expanded on the intervening efficient cause doctrine by requiring that the intervening acts of a thief must have been unforeseeable in order for an auto owner to be relieved of his liability as a result of his negligence. Stone v. Bethea, 251 S.C. 157, 161 S.E.2d 171, 174-75 (1968) (negligence and willfulness of car thief was an intervening act and was the sole, proximate, and efficient cause of a third party's injuries, which could not have been foreseen by the car owner). As we noted, this case presents the first opportunity to discuss the scope of the unattended motor vehicle statute. We have, however, addressed the issue of intervening efficient causes and their effect on the chain of causation: A tortfeasor whose negligence is a substantial factor in bringing about injuries is not relieved from liability by the intervening acts of third persons if those acts were reasonably foreseeable by the original tortfeasor at the time of his negligent conduct. Syllabus Point 13, Anderson v. Moulder, 183 W.Va. 77, 394 S.E.2d 61 (1990). We believe that the trial court had sufficient authority to conclude that the theft of the car and the subsequent acts of the plaintiff's decedent and his friends were intervening efficient acts which were not foreseeable by the defendant; thereby breaking the chain of causation which originally began with the defendant's negligent act and relieving the defendant of any liability. The judgment granted to the defendant notwithstanding the verdict is hereby affirmed. Affirmed.