1.30 Proximate Cause is an element of tort law which establishes the necessary causal connection between a defendant's conduct and the plaintiff's injury. It is also known as "the cause-in-fact" and is a requirement for the plaintiff to prove in order to recover damages. Proximate Cause is generally determined by asking whether the defendant's actions were a substantial factor in bringing about the plaintiff's injury, and whether the injury would have occurred without the defendant's action. There are two types of Proximate Cause: direct cause and proximate cause. Direct cause is a situation where the defendant's action was the direct cause of the plaintiff's injury. Proximate cause is a situation where the defendant's action was a substantial factor in bringing about the plaintiff's injury, although not necessarily the direct cause.