dependent intervening cause
dependent intervening cause. A cause of an accident or injury that occurs between the defendant’s behavior and the injurious result, but that does not change the defendant’s liability. See intervening cause under CAUSE(1). [Cases: Criminal Law 31; Negligence 431. C.J.S. Criminal Law §§ 15, 46–49, 88, 93–94; Negligence §§ 202, 315.]