Traffic Violation Causation in Negligence

A motorist, who was driving a vehicle that crossed a solid white line in violation of traffic regulations, collided with another vehicle traveling in the opposite direction, causing injuries to the driver of the second vehicle. The lower court found the motorist solely liable, holding that the breach of the traffic regulation constituted an established fault under the law of liability for fault, which was the direct and certain cause of the damage. The Supreme Court quashed this decision, reasoning that merely violating a traffic regulation does not automatically establish liability for damages unless the violation is proven to be the direct and certain cause of the harm, meaning the court needed to confirm the causal link between the specific fault (crossing the solid line) and the resulting accident.