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Simple English definitions for legal terms
superseding cause
Read a random definition: taxpayer-standing doctrine
A quick definition of superseding cause:
Superseding cause: This term means the same thing as an intervening cause. It refers to something that happens after an event and changes the outcome. For example, if someone is driving recklessly and causes an accident, but then a tree falls on the car and causes more damage, the falling tree is a superseding cause because it changed the outcome of the accident. It's like a new cause that takes over from the original cause.
A more thorough explanation:
A superseding cause is an event that occurs after the initial act and contributes to the outcome of an incident. It is also known as an intervening cause.
For example, if a person is driving recklessly and hits another car, causing injuries, but then a tree falls on the injured person's car and causes further harm, the falling tree is considered a superseding cause. The reckless driving was the initial cause of the accident, but the falling tree was an intervening event that contributed to the outcome.
Another example could be a person slipping and falling on a wet floor in a grocery store. If the person had been warned about the wet floor but chose to ignore the warning and continued to walk on the wet floor, but then a shelf fell on them causing further injury, the falling shelf would be considered a superseding cause.
These examples illustrate how a superseding cause can change the outcome of an incident and can affect who is held responsible for the damages.