Proximate cause focuses on which concept?

• A. D is liable for foreseeable harms, including indirect harms such as rescuer botch and subsequent harm.
• B. Proximate cause requires only actual causation.
• C. Proximate cause disregards foreseeability.
• D. Proximate cause is identical to causation in fact.

Answer: (A)

Proximate cause determines liability by focusing on foreseeability and the scope of consequences. It looks at whether the harm that occurred was a natural and probable result of the defendant’s conduct, not just whether there is a direct causal link. Because of this, liability extends to harms that are foreseeable, including certain indirect harms that flow from the defendant’s actions, such as injuries to a rescuer or later harms that arise in the chain of events, if those harms were reasonably foreseeable. That’s why the idea that the defendant is liable for foreseeable harms, including indirect harms like rescuer injuries and subsequent harm, best captures proximate cause. The other statements miss the mark because proximate cause depends on foreseeability, is not identical to causation in fact, and is not satisfied by actual causation alone.