Opinion ID: 1119102
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Independent, intervening cause

Text: Even if a jury would find Byus' death arose out of the use of Cooper's car, the shooting would sever liability if were not foreseeable. Willard, 803 P.2d at 1128-29, 1131. The parties do not contest that the shooting was accidental in that it was unexpected, unintended and unforeseen by Byus. Mid-Century does argue that the shooting was an independent, supervening force severing liability arising out of the use of the Cooper car. An intervening force will sever liability of a defendant only when the force is unforeseeable and, thus, not the proximate cause of the injury. Willard, 803 P.2d at 1131. To rise to the magnitude of a supervening cause, which will insulate the original actor from liability, the new cause must be (1) independent of the original act, (2) adequate of itself to bring about the result and (3) one whose occurrence was not reasonably foreseeable to the original actor. Graham v. Keuchel, 847 P.2d 342, 348 (Okla.1993) (emphasis omitted); see Willard, 803 P.2d at 1131-32. If the force is foreseeable, the causal chain will remain unbroken. Id. Thus, if the shooting was unforeseeable from the point of view of the original tortfeasor, it would break any causal chain and be an independent, supervening cause which would sever liability related to the use of the Cooper car, and UM coverage would not apply. On the other side, if the shooting was foreseeable, UM coverage would be available for any injury arising out of the use of the vehicle since any liability for injury resulting from the use of the Cooper car would remain intact. As we found in Willard on similar facts, the issue of the direct causal relationship between the use of the car and the shooting cannot be segregated from the issue of proximate cause. Since the issues are inseparable, we cannot say as a matter of law the shooting would or would not break a causal chain between the use of the Cooper car and Byus' death. Both issues in this case are not proper for summary judgment. Mid-Century argues the facts in this case are similar to the facts in Safeco, 803 P.2d at 688, in which this Court found an intervening, independent force severed liability. In Safeco, the insureds were abducted and forced to drive a short distance. The insureds were forced into the trunk, and then the tortfeasors drove back to the place of the abduction. One of the tortfeasors drove the insureds' car to a remote location while the other drove the tortfeasors' car. The tortfeasors then exited both cars, and cut the fuel line to the insureds' car, ignited the fuel, and left the scene in their car. The insureds died as a result of the ensuing fire. This Court held the acts of cutting the fuel line and igniting the fuel were an independent, intervening force which severed the causal connection between the use of the vehicle and the injury. We find the facts of Willard more analogous to the facts in this case than those of Safeco.