Insurance Law
Insurance Law
Insurance Law
RAIPUR, CHHATTISGARH
ON
Submitted to:
Submitted by:
Devendra Dhruw
Semester X
Roll no. : 59
Section: C (Political Science Major)
1|Page
1
Doctrine of Proximate Cause under Insurance Law
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 3
CHAPTER-1- 4
INTRODUCTION: 4
OBJECTIVES 5
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 5
HYPOTHESES 5
CHAPTER-2- 6
CHAPTER-3- 7
MEANING OF ‘PROXIMATE’: 8
CHAPTER-4- 12
CHAPTER-5- 14
2|Page
2
Doctrine of Proximate Cause under Insurance Law
SUGGESTIONS: 18
BIBLIOGRAPHY: 19
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and foremost I would like to thank our course teacher Dr. Y Papa Rao, Faculty, Insurance
Law, HNLU, for allotting me this topic to work on and whose help and assistance enabled me to
I would like to thank my friends, who gave me their precious time for guidance and helped me a
lot in completing my project by giving their helpful suggestion and assistance. I would like to
thanks my seniors for their valuable support. Last, but not the least I thank the University
Administration for equipping the University with such good library and I.T. facilities, without
which, no doubt this work would not have taken this shape in correct time .
DEVENDRA DHRUW
3
Doctrine of Proximate Cause under Insurance Law
CHAPTER-1-
INTRODUCTION:
There are several perils which can destroy the life and properties by fire, earthquake, war, riot,
peril of the sea etc. The insured chooses to indemnify the loss caused due to some of them. The
insurer’s liability under the policy arises only if the cause of loss in a peril insured against and
not expressly excluded. Risk and peril are interchangeably used. A risk is the uncertainty of loss
and peril is the sources of loss.
Since every event is the effect of some cause, causation is indeed a significant part in the law of
insurance. 1Under any contract of insurance, the question of causa proxima (or proximate cause)
of a loss plays an important role. The doctrine of causa proxima is based on the principle of
cause and effect. Causa Proxima is a latin phrase which is based upon a maxim: “in jure non
remota causa,sed proxima spectator”. The maxim means in law the immediate and not the
remote cause is to be considered in measuring the damages. In simple words, it means proximate
and not the remote cause shall be taken as the cause of the loss. When the loss has been caused
by a number of causes; the nearest cause will be taken into consideration for fixing the liability
of the insurer.
4
Doctrine of Proximate Cause under Insurance Law
By the term “proximate cause” is not meant the latest i.e. proximate in time, but the
In defining causa proxima, Lord Bacon said- “It were indefinite for the law to consider the
causes of the causes and their impulses one another, therefore it contained itself with the
immediate cause and rejects all causes preceding the proximate cause as too remote.”
According to John Wright- “The proximate cause is that cause which is directly related
to the loss”
Thus, the rule of proximate cause means the immediate cause or the direct, most dominant and
OBJECTIVES
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Nature of research work: This project “Doctrine of Proximate Cause under Insurance Law” is a
“Doctrinal” work. Doctrinal research includes studying books and established literature and not
Source of research work: The sources of this project are both primary (bare acts,
5
Doctrine of Proximate Cause under Insurance Law
statutes, etc) and secondary sources (books given by different authors, journals, internet, etc).
HYPOTHESES
1. Proximate cause is used to examine how a loss occurred and how many may have played
a role in causing the loss. Proximate cause refers to the initial action that caused a loss.
2. It has been said that determining the proximate cause of a loss is simply the application of
common sense, and in many of the cases that would appear to be so.
CHAPTERISATION
Chapter I introduce the topic of the research work by explaining the meaning and concept of
Proximate Cause.
Chapter III talks about the application of Proximate Cause in Insurance law.
And Chapter V finally talks about application of rule in different forms of insurance including
CHAPTER-2-
6
Doctrine of Proximate Cause under Insurance Law
insured from a specified loss if it occurs. The insured is afraid of the loss which is called risk
In a contract of insurance, the insurer undertakes to indemnify the insured from the
apprehended loss if it occurs for a consideration called premium. The insurer calculates the
premium according to the probability, nature and extent of risk from which the insured desires to
be protected. The risk of loss is co-extensive with the value of the insurable interest the insured
has.
The determination of the dimensions of the risk covered by the contract is important to both the
parties; it is important to the assured as from that he can know the exact extent of the risk
covered by the contracts so that he may adjust his economic affairs and to the insurer because he
Scope of Risk:
The insurer indemnifies the insured only against the loss caused during the period insured; for
which the direct and proximate cause is the peril insured against. In,
Wilson & Sons’Co. v. Xantho1,House of Lords explained the scope of risk and when the
i. On negligent act of the servant of insured, insurance company will be made liable.
iii. Wilful act of the servants and of the strangers, insurance company will be made liable.
7
Doctrine of Proximate Cause under Insurance Law
iv. If the loss is caused by the wilful misconduct of the insured, insurance company will not
be made liable.
v. Is loss occurred due to ordinary wear and tear, insurance company cannot be made liable.
vi. Inherent defects and manufacturing defects does not include the risk and so for that
CHAPTER-3-
In Insurance law, as in tort law it is recognised that loss or damage may be the product of
multiple causes. The maxim ‘in jure non remota causa, sed proxima spectator, means ‘in law
the immediate and not the remote cause is to be considered in measuring the damages’, is very
much applicable in insurance also. The proximate cause of the loss need not be the last event
immediately preceding the loss in chronological sense; the last event may be merely a link in the
chain connecting the loss with the proximate cause.
There must be relationship between cause and effect. The loss should be connected with the
8
Doctrine of Proximate Cause under Insurance Law
of events from one to the other. The cause will then be the proximate cause, however long the
chain of events might be. Most losses are very straightforward and cause is obvious; or in the
context of the all risks policy, it will be obvious that exclusion applies or it does not. Problem
arises when there are exceptions in the policy or where more than one cause may have operated
or where one or more of those causes is not covered by the policy. In such cases, it is essential to
establish the proximate cause before it can be confirmed that the loss is covered by the policy. If
one of the two or more perils, operating together, is covered by the policy (or in the case of the
all risk policy, not excluded), that will be sufficient for the policy to respond to the loss.
The doctrine of causa proxima is applied to ascertain whether or not the insurer is liable.
Obviously the issue of proximate cause would arise only when the loss is the result of two or
more causes acting simultaneously or in succession- one after the other. If the loss is brought
about by only one event, there would be no problem to decide the question of liability. There is
no clear definition in law to clear the application of this principle, it is only through judicial
interpretation that the position and application of this principle is been clarified.
MEANING OF ‘PROXIMATE’:
The word ‘proximate’ has a definite meaning. It does not mean the cause nearest to the
loss in profit of time. Rather it is the cause seen as effectual in producing the result. It implies the
factor that is most dynamic, dominant or effective in causing the loss. The other causes are
considered as remote. The law doesn’t concern itself with the cause of causes.
For example- let a shopkeeper ‘A’ insured his glass plate against loss or damage arising from
any cause except fire. Fire broke out in a neighbor’s property, as a result
9
Doctrine of Proximate Cause under Insurance Law
of it, a mob gathered. The mob then started a riot and broke the glass plate.2
The doctrine of proximate cause is clear enough in theory but poses problems in practical
application. The selection of the proximate cause is by no means a simple or easy task. Let
1. Single Cause: If the loss event is the result of a single cause, which is an insured peril,
this is clearly the proximate cause and there is liability under the policy. For example,
2. Concurrent Causes: Loss events may happen as a result of concurrent causes (causes
which happen together). If none of the perils involved have been excluded under the
policy, it may be held that there is liability under the policy if any one of the causes is an
For example, a man with heart disease sustains an accident, which coupled with the weak
heart, leads to his death. It is held that the accident was the proximate cause.
3. Successive Causes: Where a number of causes operate one after the other and the
original cause happens to be an insured peril, there is liability under the policy. On the
other hand if the direct chain of events can be traced to an excepted peril there is no
liability. A third scenario is where a chain of events is broken by intervention of a new
and independent cause. Liability will then depend on whether new cause was an insured
peril or an excepted peril.
Onus of Proof: A final point about proximate cause- in the event of loss, the onus of proof
(burden of proof) is on the insured. He has to prove that his loss was
2 See question paper of Mid Term Examination, March-2015, Sem-X, Insurance Law optional-
1, HNLU, Raipur.
10
Doctrine of Proximate Cause under Insurance Law
proximately caused by an insured peril. The onus of proof shifts to the insurer if the latter
Courts have followed the principle keeping in mind the formula that the insurance company can
only be made liable when the insured event the real cause must coincide with each other, i.e.
they both has to be the same so as to make insurance company liable. The judicial development
of the doctrine of proximate cause can be traced with the following leading cases on the point:
One of the most leading cases on this point, which in late 19 th century clarified the application of
this principle while calculating the liability of the Insurance Company, is;
Hamilton,Fraser and Co. v. Pandrof & Co.3 In this case, the ship was insured alongwith the
goods. Event insured against under the policy was collision with other ships or island on sea. The
damage caused to the cargo was because of the seawater escaping through a hole in the pipe
gnawed by rats. Insurance Company contented that the loss was not caused due to escape of
water but because of the rats who cut the pipe by their sharpened teeth.
Court before reaching to the conclusion, considered the following chain of causes:
11
Doctrine of Proximate Cause under Insurance Law
The real cause near to the loss is escape of water. And so, the Insurance Company were held
liable.
Another leading case, during this period, is Pink v. Flemming4. There was an insurance on a
cargo of oranges and was warranted free from partial loss or damage unless such loss or damage
was consequent on collision with any other ship. The ship collided with another ship but there
was no loss caused to the goods. Because of the collision, ship was taken to the port for
repairing. Engineers advised for the unloading of oranges as only after that ship can be repaired.
The oranges got damaged in the course of unloading and reloading.
The question was whether or not this damage to the cargo was a consequence of or was
caused by the collision within the meaning of the policy. The court held that the loss was not
reloading loss.
Since, unloading and reloading is the real cause for damage to oranges, so insurance company
In Marsden v. City & Country Assurance Co. 5 is another leading case based on this principle. In
this case Marsden took a Fire Insurance policy for his shop. On one evening shop premises
caught fire due to which a disorderly mob gathered and entered into the premises and looted it
and due to which huge loss was occurred. Claim was made to the insurance company by
Marsden. It was held that loss was due to loot done by mob and not by fire and so the insurance
company was not held liable.
12
Doctrine of Proximate Cause under Insurance Law
In yet another leading case on the point is Insitt v. Railway Passengers Assurance Co. 6 In this
case an insured booked a ticket and travelled but due to the negligence of the railway driver, he
received permanent injury on his shoulders but did not die. After few days he met with a road
accident and died. The legal representatives contented that due to injury caused to the deceased
in train, he died in street accident and so the real cause of the death is railway accident and for
that insurance company will have to pay the compensation.
It was held that the railway accident and the death do not coincide with each other.
It was the road accident and not the railway accident which is the real and proximate cause for
the death. Hence, Railway Passengers Assurance Co. was not liable.
In Leyland Shipping Co. Ltd. v. Norwich Union Fire Insurance Society 7, an insured cargo ship,
holed by a torpedo and having been anchored in an outer harbour while awaiting repair,
eventually became a total loss due to the strain of the wind and seas, and of repeated grounding
at low tides. The latter were said to be incidents of insured perils of the sea; however “all
consequences of hostilities of warlike operation” were excluded from cover. All of the Law
Lords agreed with both the trail judge & the Court of Appeal, that the proximate cause of this
loss was the torpedo.
Lord Shaw observed: To treat causa proxima as the cause which is nearest in time is lost of
the question causes are spoken as if they were distinct from one another as beads in a row of
links in a chain, but if a metaphysical logic has to be referred to, it is not wholly so, the chain of
causation is a handy expression but the figure is inadequate, causation is not a chain, but a net.
13
Doctrine of Proximate Cause under Insurance Law
The learned judge explained that the proximate cause of an event is the real and efficient cause
to which the event may be attributed and the application of doctrine varies according to the
question whether the loss was caused by the insured against. He explained that the cause which
is truly proximate is that which is proximate in efficiency.
CHAPTER-4-
1) Where the perils are acting consecutively in unbroken sequence, i.e. one peril is caused
Based on these rules, courts have evolved certain tests to determine proximate cause for the loss
and when the liability of insurance company will arise and when will it is able to avoid the
policy.
Courts have evolved these tests keeping in mind the two types of events- excepted event and
insured event. Both the events act in different manner, depending upon the circumstances of the
case. The tests for determining the real causes based on excepted and insured events are as
follows.
8 [1942] AC 69
14
Doctrine of Proximate Cause under Insurance Law
When an insured event follows an excepted event causing loss, insurer is not liable. This
Cornish v. Accident Insurance Co.9. In this case insured took the accident insurance policy
under which the insured event was the death caused by accident included railway accident.
Under the policy there was an exception clause which says that the insurer will not be liable if
There were two up and down railway tracks which the insured wanted to cross. The insured, a
person with normal sight and hearing, crossed a main line and waited for on train to pass and was
crossing in front of an approaching second train which he ought have seen, when he was run over
and killed. Though the death was caused by the insured event, it is attributable to his want of care
and hence was held to fall within an exception clause of the policy. So the insurer was not held
liable.
When excepted event follows an insured event causing loss, insurer is liable.
In Filton v. Accidental Insurance Co.10, an insured took a Life Insurance policy which
had an exception clause that death if caused due to ‘hernia’ insurance company will not be liable.
Insured one day fallen from a greater height and admitted to a hospital and suffered from hernia.
15
Doctrine of Proximate Cause under Insurance Law
the insurance company were made liable because hernia was caused by an accident fall and due
to that the assured died.. it was held that the death was due to the fall and not due to hernia.
III. Excepted Event and Insured Event occur simultaneously and cause loss.
Where the insured event and excepted event responsible for loss equally, the insurer shall
be liable or shall not be liable, it is totally dependent upon the circumstances and facts of
the cases.
In this case the Company was an old mill. a vital part of the mill became defected as a result of
which the part replaced by a new part. It is very risky to replace the old part by the new part in
the machine. They by realising the risk took a liability insurance policy, which had an exception
clause that if the quality of the new part is not good and accident caused due to this co. will not
be liable. The new part was defected and the machine was left by the servant unattended causing
loss. Court held that the insurance company was not liable for such loss.
CHAPTER-5-
Every person prefers to take life insurance policy on his life to safeguard his family after his
death. In life insurance the insurer proceeds on the calculation of the average
11 [1974] QB 57
16
Doctrine of Proximate Cause under Insurance Law
duration of human life. The insurance is against death due to natural causes. If death occurs other
than the natural cause, i.e. if the assured voluntarily puts an end to his life the insurer is not
liable. This is on the public policy and also by the maxim causa proxima. In other words, death
caused due to committing suicide, insurer will not be liable.
The maxim is liberally applied in fire insurance because on considering an fire event, there can
be a variety of causes. For eg. Loss by smock, by atmospheric pressure, by fire etc.
In Stanley v. Western Insurance Co.12 it was observed that any loss resulting from the fire and
resulting from the necessary and bona fide efforts to put out the fire whether by spoiling of goods
by water or throwing the articles out of window or pulling down a house for the purpose of
preventing the spreading of fire and flames is within the policy of fire insurance.
The maxim is applicable to marine insurance but the application is very difficult due to the
different kinds of maritime perils. To make a marine insurer liable the insured must prove three
things namely,
ii. That the peril is one that is insured against in the policy; and
iii. That the peril insured against is the proximate cause for the loss caused.
17
Doctrine of Proximate Cause under Insurance Law
In Dugdeon v. Pembroke13 a ship lying in her owner’s yard was insured under a time policy. It
was lost due to violent action of the winds and waves. It was in evidence that the sea was
unseaworthy at the time when it was sent to sea, but the owners didn’t know it. The insurer
argued that as the ship was unfit for the voyage they were not liable.
House of Lords applying the maxim causa proxima held that the immediate cause of the loss
was the violent action of the winds and waves and therefore the insurance co. was liable even
though the loss could not have happened but for the concurrent action of some other cause
In another case, Grer v. Poole,14 a policy was taken on goods on a French Ship. The ship was
injured by collision and the master, not having a sufficient funds for the necessary repairs gave a
bottomry bond on the ship, the freight not being sufficient to pay the bond, the assured had to
The insurer was not held liable on the ground that the loss was not caused by perils of the
In Powell v. Gudgeon,15 a ship was disabled due to the perils of the sea and went into a part for
repairs. The master of the ship sold away some of the goods to pay for the expenses of repairs.
It was held that the insurance company was not liable as the proximate cause of the loss was
the act of the master selling away the goods and not the peril of the sea.
18
Doctrine of Proximate Cause under Insurance Law
Properties are exposed to various perils like fire, earthquake, explosion, perils of sea, war, riot
and so on and every event is the effect event is the effect of some cause. The law however
refuses to enter into a subtle analysis or to carry back the investigation further than is necessary.
The doctrine of proximate cause, which is common to all branches of insurance, must be applied
with good sense so as to give effect to and not to defeat the intention.
There is no difficulty if a single peril acts and causes the loss but often these perils do not operate
in isolation, but acts in succession or simultaneously and will be difficult to assess the relative
effect of each peril or pick out one of these perils as the actual cause of loss.
Law says to look exclusively to the immediate and proximate cause, all causes preceding the
proximate cause being rejected as too remote. Nonetheless, it has been said that determining the
proximate cause of a loss is simply the application of common sense, and in many of the cases
19
Doctrine of Proximate Cause under Insurance Law
In insurance law, it is very difficult to determine the exact reason for the loss caused so as to fix
the liability of the insurer. Sometimes, at outset it seems that the loss is caused due to the peril
insured against but while getting into the merits of the case it emerges that the loss is caused due
to some other reason. At this point of time court takes the help of the doctrine of proximate
cause. Doctrine of causa proxima is indeed a very important principle which governs the
insurance law. Courts have many a times interpreted this doctrine before fixing the liability of
the insurer. So it can be said that it is the backbone of insurance law.
There is no difficulty if a single peril acts and causes the loss but often these perils do operate in
isolation, but acts in succession or simultaneously and it will be difficult to assess the relative
effect of each peril or pick out one of these perils as actual cause of loss.
The doctrine is clear enough in theory but poses problems in practical application. The maxim is
applicable to Marine Insurance but the application is very difficult due to the different kinds of
maritime perils. The maxim causa proxima has a twofold operation that is partly to limit and
partly to enlarge the liability of the insurer, in marine insurance. As in respect of other insurance
contracts, courts only concerns itself with the particular risk which against which the insured has
taken the policy. But still in practicality it is not easy to determine the exact and the most
immediate cause for the loss and hence, this principle posses, at times, difficulty.
20
Doctrine of Proximate Cause under Insurance Law
SUGGESTIONS:
In the law of insurance the principle of causa proxima plays a vital role in determining the
liability of the insurer but determining the exact cause it is indeed a difficult task. Courts have
many a time laid down different rules for determining the proximate cause but no standard rule
till date has been formulated, this calls for legislative intervention. Any legislative reform in this
respect will easier the task of courts before fixing the liability of the insurer.
21
Doctrine of Proximate Cause under Insurance Law
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
1) Avtar Singh, LAW OF INSURANCE, Eastern Book Company, Second Edition, 2010.
2) Srinivasan MN, Principles of Insurance Law, 9th edn 2009, Lexis Nexis Butterworths
Wadhwa Nagpur
3) Murthy KSN & Sharma KVS, Modern Law of Insurance, 4th edn 2011, Lexis Nexix
Butterworths Wadhwa Nagpur.
4) Jaiswal J.V.N., Law of Insurance, Eastern Book Company, Lucknow 2011
22
Doctrine of Proximate Cause under Insurance Law
23