No person, by his own transgression, can create a cause of action in his own favor, against another.

Explanation

(English-origin maxim.) A wrongdoer cannot manufacture a cause of action from his own transgression — the law will not allow a party to benefit from his own wrong.

Where this applies

• A man trespasses on his neighbor's land, injures himself on a hazard there, and then sues the neighbor for unsafe conditions — the court dismisses the suit because the trespasser created his own exposure to danger.
• A company illegally dumps waste on another's property and then sues the landowner for 'contaminating' the company's adjacent well — you cannot create a cause of action from your own wrongdoing.
• A tenant who deliberately breaks a pipe to flood the apartment cannot sue the landlord for water damage.