In a negligence claim, which element requires proof that the defendant's act caused the plaintiff's damages?

• A. Duty
• B. Breach
• C. Damages
• D. Causation

Answer: (D)

Causation is the link between the defendant's conduct and the plaintiff's damages in a negligence claim. You must show that the defendant’s act or omission actually caused the harm the plaintiff suffered. In practice, this means proving two things: first, actual causation (often framed as but-for causation—that, but for the defendant’s conduct, the injury would not have occurred); second, often, that the harm was a foreseeable consequence (proximate/legal causation) of that conduct.

For example, if a guard’s failure to lock a gate leads to an inmate's injury, causation requires showing the injury would not have happened but for that failure, and that the injury was a foreseeable result of leaving the gate unsecured. If another independent factor caused the injury, liability hinges on whether the breach still can be considered the actual or proximate cause.

The other elements set the stage for liability: duty is the obligation to act reasonably; breach is failing to meet that standard; damages are the actual harm suffered. But without proven causation, the breach cannot be connected to the harm, so liability fails.