In California personal injury cases, to determine whether the defendant’s negligence was a substantial factor in causing the plaintiff’s injuries, the court assesses whether the defendant’s conduct was a significant and meaningful contributor to the harm. Under California law, negligence is considered a substantial factor if it played an important role in bringing about the injury, even if other factors were also involved. For example, if a driver runs a red light and collides with another car, causing the plaintiff to suffer injuries, the driver’s negligent actions in running the red light could be considered a substantial factor in causing the injury, even if other circumstances, such as road conditions, were also present.
The court will look at whether the defendant’s actions were more than a trivial or insignificant factor in the injury. California law does not require the defendant’s negligence to be the sole cause of the injury, but rather that it be a substantial factor in bringing about the harm. If the defendant’s conduct was a significant contributor to the accident, the plaintiff may be entitled to compensation for the resulting injuries, even if other factors also played a role. For instance, if a property owner failed to maintain safe premises, and that negligence contributed significantly to a slip and fall injury, the defendant’s negligence could be considered a substantial factor, even if the plaintiff’s own actions or other external factors also played a role in the accident.
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