In negligence, which element concerns the causal link between the defendant's breach and the plaintiff's injuries?

• A. Duty
• B. Breach of Duty
• C. Causation in Fact
• D. Damages

Answer: (C)

Understanding how a breach translates into harm is the heart of this item. Causation in fact focuses on the actual link between the defendant’s breach and the plaintiff’s injuries. The usual test is but-for causation: would the injury have occurred but for the breach? If the answer is no, there is a real causal connection in fact. This is about what actually happened, not just whether the breach happened.

This is distinct from proximate cause, which asks whether the link is legally cognizable as a foreseeable consequence and whether liability should be limited. Other negligence elements are duty (the obligation to meet a standard of care) and breach (failure to meet that standard), while damages concern the harm suffered. So the element describing the causal link to the injury is causation in fact.