Matthew Mincone | November 27, 2025 | Personal Injury
If you get hurt because of someone else’s mistake, you have to prove they are legally responsible for your injuries. This legal concept is referred to as causation, which has two parts: actual cause and proximate cause.
This blog post will give examples of proximate cause from personal injury cases. If you have questions about an accident you were in, you should talk to a Tampa personal injury lawyer.
What Proximate Cause Means in a Personal Injury Case
Causation is one of the four elements of negligence, which is the basis of many personal injury claims. It can be broken down into two parts: actual cause and proximate cause.
Actual cause is about why something happened. It asks: “But for the other party’s actions, would the accident or injury have happened?”
Proximate cause mainly focuses on foreseeability. It considers whether the harm that occurred was a consequence that a reasonable person could have predicted would result from the person’s actions.
Examples of Proximate Cause in Florida Personal Injury Cases
Every personal injury case is different, but here are some examples of how proximate cause works:
Car Accident
Imagine a driver runs a red light and causes a crash that injures another person. Proving proximate cause is usually straightforward in this car accident situation.
If the driver hadn’t been careless and run the light, the crash wouldn’t have happened. It is easy to predict that running a red light can cause a crash and injuries. The injuries were a foreseeable consequence of the driver’s poor decision.
Slip and Fall Accident
Let’s say a store employee mops a floor but doesn’t put up a “Wet Floor” sign. A customer slips, falls, and gets hurt.
It’s easy to see that leaving an unwarned, wet floor could cause someone to fall and get injured. The store’s failure to maintain a safe area or warn customers is the proximate cause of the accident.
Negligent Security
Consider a business owner who knows that their area has a high crime rate. The owner fails to take reasonable steps to secure the property, such as installing good lighting or security alarms. If a customer is injured in a crime, the owner may be held responsible.
In this example, it could be foreseeable that a crime could occur and cause harm to the victim due to the high crime rate and the owner’s inadequate security measures.
Why Proximate Cause Is Important
Proximate cause is important because it makes sure that people are only held responsible for injuries that are directly and predictably connected to their carelessness. It prevents defendants from being unfairly liable for harm that has no connection to their actions.
To win a case and receive compensation for expenses such as medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering, the victim must clearly establish this link.
The question of foreseeability is often something a jury has to decide. The jurors must determine whether a reasonable person would have expected the injury to occur due to the defendant’s actions. If the injury was a highly unlikely or remote result, the defendant may not be held responsible.
Proving Proximate Cause After an Injury in Tampa, FL
The person who was hurt has the job of proving proximate cause to win a personal injury case. This can be one of the hardest parts of the claim, especially if there are many possible causes for the victim’s injuries. To prove proximate cause, the injured party needs to gather and show evidence that creates a strong case.
Evidence used to prove proximate cause often includes:
- Medical records that connect the person’s injuries directly to the accident.
- Police or accident reports that detail how the event happened.
- Statements from eyewitnesses who saw what took place.
- The opinions and analysis from expert witnesses who can explain how the defendant’s actions caused the victim’s injuries.
- Testimony from the people involved in the accident.
- Videos and photographs of the scene or the incident.
A skilled lawyer will use this evidence to tell a story to the jury, showing that it was reasonably foreseeable that the defendant’s careless action could result in injury to another person.
Contact Our Tampa Personal Injury Lawyers at Mincone Personal Injury Lawyers for a Free Consultation
If you were injured because of someone else’s mistake, you deserve fair payment for your economic and non-economic losses. Call Mincone Personal Injury Lawyers at (813) 800-0810 for a free consultation with a Tampa personal injury lawyer. We help injured people hold negligent parties responsible for the harm they cause.
Mincone Personal Injury Lawyers Tampa
1925 E 6th Ave Unit 10
Tampa, FL 33605
Phone: (813) 800-0810
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Our firm is located near you. We have an office in Tampa, FL.
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About The Author
Attorney Matthew Mincone is the founder of Mincone Personal Injury Lawyers. He earned his law degree while attending night programs in New York and is licensed to practice in Florida. With over 15 years of legal experience, Matthew focuses on personal injury cases, including motor vehicle accidents involving cars, commercial trucks, and motorcycles. His commitment to personally handling each case ensures clients receive dedicated representation. Click here to view some of the remarkable case results that Matthew has successfully achieved.
Location: Tampa, FL
