Disclaimer: This work was produced by one of our expert legal writers, as a learning aid to help law students with their studies.

Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not reflect the views of LawTeacher.net. Any information contained in this case summary does not constitute legal advice and should be treated as educational content only.

Mansfield v Weetabix - 1998

286 words (1 pages) Case Summary

18th Jul 2019 Case Summary Reference this In-house law team

Jurisdiction / Tag(s): UK Law

Mansfield v Weetabix [1998] EWCA Civ 1352

NEGLIGENCE  – DUTY OF CARE ā€“ STANDARD OF REASONABLE CARE EXPECTED OF DRIVERS ā€“ DRIVERS WITH PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS

Facts

D appealed against a judgment holding them liable in negligence following an incident in which a lorry belonging to D, and driven by one of their employees (T), crashed into Cā€™s shop, causing extensive damage. Unbeknownst to T, he suffered from malignant insulinoma, a condition which resulted in a hypoglycaemic state which had impaired T’s ability to drive and that, it was accepted, had caused the accident. It was also accepted at first instance that T, had he been aware of his condition, would not have continued to drive.

Issues

Whether a driver suffering from a condition which impairs his/her ability to drive should be held to the same standard as the reasonably competent road user or, alternatively, whether the effect of the condition could be taken into account when determining the relevant standard of care.

Decision/Outcome

In finding for D the Court of Appeal held that the condition of T had to be taken into consideration when determining the applicable standard of care to be expected of him. This was a civil case, not a criminal prosecution, and so it need not be proven that T was acting as an automaton, i.e. without any awareness of his actions. That would be to impose a test of strict liability, whereas T was merely under a duty to attain the standard of a reasonably competent driver who is unaware he is suffering from a condition that impairs his ability to drive.

Cite This Work

To export a reference to this article please select a referencing stye below:

Reference Copied to Clipboard.
Reference Copied to Clipboard.
Reference Copied to Clipboard.
Reference Copied to Clipboard.
Reference Copied to Clipboard.
Reference Copied to Clipboard.
Reference Copied to Clipboard.

Related Services

View all

Related Content

Jurisdictions / Tags

Content relating to: "UK Law"

UK law covers the laws and legislation of England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Essays, case summaries, problem questions and dissertations here are relevant to law students from the United Kingdom and Great Britain, as well as students wishing to learn more about the UK legal system from overseas.

Related Articles