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What does the term “proximate cause” mean?

by | Feb 22, 2019 | Legal Malpractice |

Floridian residents turn to attorneys at some of the potentially worst moments of their lives, when they need the legal help to weather whatever storm they are going through. Because of this, it can feel like a huge betrayal if your legal aid does not live up to your expectations. If you feel like you lost your case because of poor representation, then continue reading to learn more about what you can do.

First we’ll take a look at FindLaw’s definition of the term proximate cause. Determining if your attorney’s negligence was a proximate cause of the injury or harm you suffered from is a key point in your case. As the name suggests, a proximate cause is a cause that sets a sequence of events into motion. These events are uninterrupted by superseding causes. They also result in a foreseeable effect – like an injury, or losing your case – that would not have otherwise occurred.

You will need to prove that the damage or injury you suffered from would not have happened if the initial “cause” was not present. In essence, you must show that you would have won your case if you had a different attorney representing you. This can be somewhat difficult to prove, as the presence of negligence in a case doesn’t necessarily mean that the judge will view said negligence as the reason your case went differently than you had expected.

Because of the tricky intricacies of this type of situation, many people find themselves benefiting from the aid of a legal malpractice attorney. They specialize in dealing with this specific type of problem and can help represent you in court.