What is meant by "proximate cause" in legal terms?

Proximate cause refers to the direct cause of an injury that establishes a connection between the defendant's actions and the plaintiff's injury, justifying liability. It is a key concept in tort law that emphasizes the necessity of showing not just that an action led to an injury, but that the injury was a foreseeable result of the action taken. In establishing proximate cause, courts consider whether the injury was a natural and probable consequence of the defendant's actions and whether there were any intervening factors that might break that chain of causation.

This understanding is critical in liability cases because it helps determine if the defendant should be held responsible for the consequences of their actions. The distinction of proximate cause from other terms like criminal action, types of negligence, or defenses in civil cases lies in its specific role in connecting behavior to injury rather than addressing the broader concepts of liability, negligence, or defenses.