''George v Skivington'' (1869) is an
English tort law
English tort law concerns the compensation for harm to people's rights to health and safety, a clean environment, property, their economic interests, or their reputations. A "tort" is a wrong in civil, rather than criminal law, that usually requi ...
case where it was held that a manufacturer who places a product intended for human consumption into the market, in a form that is liable for damage and who fails to exercise
reasonable care
In tort law, a duty of care is a legal obligation that is imposed on an individual, requiring adherence to a standard of reasonable care while performing any acts that could foreseeably harm others. It is the first element that must be establis ...
to ensure that the product is suitable for human consumption, could be sued for damages by the victims.
Facts
In 1869, when Mr George bought hair wash for his wife, who used it and was injured by the improperly manufactured product, he sued Mr Skivington (the manufacturer) and won the case, even though his wife was not a party to the contract.
Judgement
Plaintiff was successful in his claim because the manufacturer knew the product was negligently made. The court awarded damages for the manufacturer failing to foresee reasonable omissions in a breach on contract.
Significance
''George v Skivington'' represented the first time in British common law, a third party or persons, which was not directly involved in the incident. The decision was used by Mrs Donoghue in the 1932 case ''
Donoghue v Stevenson'', as a
precedent
A precedent is a principle or rule established in a previous legal case that is either binding on or persuasive for a court or other tribunal when deciding subsequent cases with similar issues or facts. Common-law legal systems place great valu ...
to support her case. This case supported Mrs Donoghue's claim that manufacturers owed a duty of care to the people using their products, even when bought by one person, and used by another (an outside party).
See also
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English tort law
English tort law concerns the compensation for harm to people's rights to health and safety, a clean environment, property, their economic interests, or their reputations. A "tort" is a wrong in civil, rather than criminal law, that usually requi ...
References
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*{{cite book , first=Graham , last=Stephenson , title=Sourcebook on Tort Law , year=2000 , page=19 , publisher=Cavendish , isbn=978-1-84314-042-9
English tort case law
1869 in case law
1869 in British law
English law articles needing infoboxes