Causes of action in civil litigation are specific claims provided by law that serve as the basis for parties to a lawsuit to recover money or property from each other—or to provide other legal or equitable relief, such as a court order requiring or prohibiting some act (injunctive relief). Examples of causes of action include breach of contract, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and negligence. Causes of action (also called claims) are usually located in a state or federal statute, or in court opinions (common law).
In Kentucky, causes of action in civil litigation are the legal grounds on which a plaintiff bases their lawsuit to seek remedies such as monetary compensation, the return of property, or injunctive relief. Common causes of action include breach of contract, where one party fails to fulfill the terms of a contract; fraud, involving intentional deception for personal gain or to damage another; breach of fiduciary duty, where an individual fails to act in the best interest of another whom they owe a duty to; and negligence, where a party's failure to exercise reasonable care causes harm to another. These claims can be found in Kentucky Revised Statutes (KRS), federal statutes, and case law developed through court decisions. The specific statutes and common law precedents provide the framework for these causes of action, detailing the elements that must be proven for a successful claim and the types of relief that may be granted by the courts.