Proving causation in an accident is closely related to proving negligence in a personal injury case. To prove causation, the same four elements are needed as those of the elements of determining negligence. When you are looking into proving how to causation in an auto accident, you must first examine the elements of causation and how they affect your case. These elements are the duty of care, the breach of the previously listed duty, the causation in question, and the damages. When all four of the elements have been proven, your auto accident causation case has been defined. Every situation is unique, so you may need to speak with your personal injury attorney to help determine the specificities of your and how to directly prove the causation of the damages you or a loved one had to endure. For a general overview of the elements of causation needed to be proven to determine a case, see the sections below for each description. Causation is not usually a clear right or wrong case, as many factors and gray areas may be present in the events leading up to the auto accident. In situations like these, it is best to analyze every possible route of causation.What is Causation? Causation, in the most basic definition, is the event or chain of situational events that lead to consequences. In the legal sense, causation is the event or chain of situational events that lead to damages; in the field of law, causation is usually coupled with negligence. If the causation of the damages was found to be related to negligence, then the driver with the negligence act is at fault for the accident and any injuries relating to the auto accident. For example, if a driver had neglected to get their brakes checked and their car hits a pedestrian, an object, or another vehicle due to faulty brakes, then the driver would be at fault due to the fact that they were negligent about their brakes and had not kept their car running safely. If you were hit due to this driver and thus suffered injuries, the negligence in the brakes would be the causation and your injuries would be the damages. To determine causation, you would need to prove that four elements exist in your case: a duty owed, the said duty breached, the causation, and any damages sustained. When all four of these elements have been proven, then your causation has been proven.1.) Duty of CareEvery driver is held to a standard of responsible duty that is owed to the other drivers and pedestrians that they share the road with. This duty is enforced to keep the roads a safe place and to avoid as many accidents as possible. When trying to prove causation, you will most likely be facing the fact that the other driver was being negligent and was thus not driving according to the standard and duty of care. Duty of care also means that each driver has the responsibility to keep their vehicle maintained and safe for the road, It is the duty of a motorcyclist to make sure their motorcycle is safe to ride, and it is the duty of a car owner to keep their vehicle maintained. If your collarbone is broken because the other driver did not fix their broken brakes, then the other driver is responsible for your broken collarbone due to their negligence and lack of maintenance.2.) Breach of DutyThe second element of determining causation is the breach of duty itself. This is the act that sets the chain of events in motion which lead to damages, injuries, and various other consequences. The breach of duty could be the lack of maintaining the vehicle or being negligent behind the wheel. Examples of this include ignoring the warning lights when they begin to flash in the car; not replacing important parts in the vehicle that have broken; not refilling any tanks or not lubricating the various parts of the vehicle that need to be lubricated. Examples of the negligence behind the wheel include applying makeup or texting while driving, or not paying attention to the rules of the road. If the cause of the accident stemmed from negligence in any way, then the duty to the other drivers has been breached and the causation can be proved based on reports or street pictures or various other forms of paperwork. 3.) CausationCausation is the term regarding the injuries received in direct relation to the accident caused by the other driver's negligence. In other words, this step is the relation between the initial motion of the chain of events and the consequences, or damages that occur because of it. For example, if a driver did not put steering fluid into their car when the steering wheel became harder to turn and hit you in an accident in which they could not turn away, then their negligence of the steering wheel fluid would be the causation. For a more specific definition, the causation would be the relation between their negligence and your damage or injury. To prove causation, you would need to determine that your injuries were directly caused by the negligence of the other driver. With this process, you would need to provide every detail in your report and your claim, including where you immediately felt injured. The paperwork from your first checkup after the accident would be needed as well. 4.) Damages Damages are the types of suffering endured due to the injuries sustained. Damages can be physical, emotional, mental, or financial. Do you now suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder after the trauma of the accident? Do you feel pain from the injuries sustained that interferes with your daily life? Has your wallet become thin with the vast amount of medical expenses? An answer in the affirmative means you have suffered damages. Damages can be proven with the paperwork of your initial checkup and any related medical visits. You will need to research your own medical and auto insurance policies based on your exact situation, but with the paperwork you will be able to prove the damages that you had to endure due to someone else's negligence. You should never have had to endure these injuries or the pain that comes along with it, and you should get the compensation you deserve. An auto accident is an unfortunate event and can leave you or your loved ones scared, injured, or worse. The pain is only increased when it is discovered that your suffering has been caused by someone else's negligence. Whether their car was faulty or they did not fix something that desperately needed to be fixed, the result is an unfair situation for you and your loved ones. Proving your causation case brings relief to your situation as consequences for the negligence are delivered. Once your case has been proven, you will be able to rest more easily. On the other side of that same coin, be sure to follow the rules of the road based on your environment and state you are driving in, and get your car repaired when something is in need of being fixed. As a driver, you have a duty to those you share the road with to maintain your vehicle and be a safe driver in consideration of those around you, just as others have that duty for you. As long as you are a safe driver with a safe vehicle and you strategically and accurately analyze the situation to prove causation, then you and your loved ones will be able to rest easily.
