What legal concept involves the requirement for a party to demonstrate that damages occurred?

The concept that requires a party to demonstrate that damages occurred is causation. In legal terms, causation links the actions of one party to the harm suffered by another. It establishes that the defendant's actions were a direct cause of the damages. In other words, for someone to claim damages, they must prove that a specific action (or inaction) led to the resulting harm.

For instance, in a property maintenance context, if a landlord fails to maintain a facility and a tenant suffers injuries as a result, the tenant must show that the landlord's failure directly caused the injury. This concept is essential in legal cases as it delineates the relationship between cause and effect.

While liability refers to the responsibility for a harm or injury, it does not specifically address the need to demonstrate that damages occurred as a result of actions taken. Negligence involves the failure to take reasonable care, which may lead to damages, but again does not encapsulate the need to show that damages were sustained. Responsibility is a broader term that can refer to various duties and obligations but lacks the specificity of causation in establishing a direct link between action and harm.