Under the transferred-intent doctrine, what must a defendant intend to do in a battery case?

In a battery case governed by the transferred-intent doctrine, the essential element the defendant must intend is to cause contact with the plaintiff. The transferred-intent doctrine applies when a defendant intends to commit a battery against one individual but inadvertently causes harmful or offensive contact with a different person. The key aspect here is the defendant's intention to make contact; it does not necessarily need to be with the intended target, but the intent to cause such contact is crucial.

In applying this doctrine, if a defendant throws a punch intending to hit Person A but accidentally strikes Person B instead, the defendant's original intent to make contact is transferred to the injury inflicted on Person B. This principle allows for recovery by the unintended victim even though the defendant did not specifically intend to harm them. Therefore, the intent to cause contact with a person is the critical factor in establishing liability for battery under this doctrine, making it the correct answer.