What can break the connection between a wrongful act and the injury suffered?

The correct answer highlights how a different act not caused by the original tortfeasor can effectively sever the causal link between the wrongful act and the resulting injury. In legal contexts, causation is pivotal in determining liability. When evaluating the relationship between a tortious act and the injury inflicted, it is essential to establish a direct causal chain. If a new, independent act occurs that leads to the injury, this breaks that chain of causation and means that the original tortfeasor may no longer be held liable for the harm suffered.

For instance, if an individual is injured in a car accident due to someone else's negligence, but then an unrelated incident occurs—such as a medical emergency that exacerbates the injury and is caused by a different party—this intervening act could absolve the original negligent party from liability for the worsened condition. This principle emphasizes the importance of identifying whether the injury directly resulted from the initial wrongful act or if there are external factors that contributed to the outcome.

Other factors, like assumptions of risk or the negligence of the injured party, may limit or contribute to the damages awarded, but they do not fundamentally break the connection between the wrongful act and the injury in the way that an independent act does. Thus, identifying