Which term means a claim that is sufficient to support a lawsuit, if not dismissed for other reasons?

Which term means a claim that is sufficient to support a lawsuit, if not dismissed for other reasons?

• A. Actus Reus
• B. Cause of Action
• C. Contract
• D. Prima Facie Case

Answer: (D)

Prima facie case means the plaintiff has shown enough evidence on each required element of the claim to support a lawsuit, at least at the initial stage. This threshold lets the case move forward—surviving early motions to dismiss and allowing it to proceed toward trial—so long as the evidence remains unrebutted or cannot be sufficient to defeat those elements. The other terms don’t fit this idea: actus reus is a criminal-law concept describing the prohibited act, not civil sufficiency of proof; a cause of action is the legal claim itself, not the evidentiary threshold; and a contract is simply an agreement between parties. So the term that best captures “a claim that is sufficient to support a lawsuit, if not dismissed for other reasons” is prima facie case.

Prima facie case means the plaintiff has shown enough evidence on each required element of the claim to support a lawsuit, at least at the initial stage. This threshold lets the case move forward—surviving early motions to dismiss and allowing it to proceed toward trial—so long as the evidence remains unrebutted or cannot be sufficient to defeat those elements. The other terms don’t fit this idea: actus reus is a criminal-law concept describing the prohibited act, not civil sufficiency of proof; a cause of action is the legal claim itself, not the evidentiary threshold; and a contract is simply an agreement between parties. So the term that best captures “a claim that is sufficient to support a lawsuit, if not dismissed for other reasons” is prima facie case.