Article
The Imputation Theory of Proximate Cause: An Economic Framework
Georgia Law Review
(1981)
Abstract
This Article develops an economic imputation theory to explain major doctrines in the law of proximate cause. The theory emphasizes the importance of tracing the relative objective marginal product of wrongful conduct in terms of the probability of that conduct bringing about the harm actually suffered. In less formal language, the theory focuses on the degree of risk to which an instance of wrongful conduct exposes the plaintiff relative to that of other wrongful conduct or intervening events.
Keywords
- probabilistic causation,
- relative creation of danger,
- wrongful conduct,
- apportionment of liability
Disciplines
Publication Date
Summer 1981
Citation Information
Mario J Rizzo. "The Imputation Theory of Proximate Cause: An Economic Framework" Georgia Law Review Vol. 15 Iss. 4 (1981) p. 1007 - 1038 ISSN: 0016 8300 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/mario_rizzo/58/