Legal liability is the legal responsibility a person has for their actions. It includes the responsibility to compensate another person for any harm or damages caused to them. Legal liability includes lawful obligations required by civil actions or torts. It can also include terms set by a contract, taxes, or fines given by government agencies.
To win a civil lawsuit the plaintiff must prove the defendant's legal liability. This requires proving the defendant failed to act in some way that caused harm to the plaintiff. To succeed the plaintiff must also show the connection of how a failure to act caused him or her injury or harm.