Intoxication Causation in Tort Liability

A person, injured in an accident caused by a vehicle whose driver was legally intoxicated, sued for damages, arguing that the intoxication constituted a fault that rendered the driver liable under general tort principles, even if the intoxication itself did not breach a specific traffic regulation. The Court of Cassation overturned the lower court's decision, ruling that while the driver's intoxication was established, it was necessary for the injured party to prove that the intoxication was the direct cause of the accident to establish liability under the general principle of fault, as intoxication alone, without proof of its causal link to the harmful event, was insufficient to establish the requisite element of fault for civil liability.