Causation

• factual causation 


  R v Pagett- but for the actions of the defendant, harm would not have come to the victim
• legal causation 


  R v Smith - substantial and operative cause

  no novus actus interveniens (new act intervening) substantial - more than a slight or trifling link (R v Kimsey)
• break chain of causation - act of victims 


  defendant causes victim to react in a reasonably foreseeable way. any injury will be see as caused by the defendant

  R v Roberts - must be proportionate to threat

  R v Williams and Davis - not liable if actions were daft and unreasonable
• thin skull rule 


  R v Blaue - defendant must take victim as they find them
• medical treatment 


  Medical negligence rarely breaks chain (R v Smith, R v Cheshire)

  but does if treatment is palpably wrong (R v Jordan)
• naturally occurring event (act of god) 


  naturally occurring event incident may occur which breaks chain of causation - unforeseeable