Breach of Duty- Reasonable Man

 NEGLIGENCE – BREACH OF DUTY CASES THE REASONABLE MAN

“The “The reas reason onab able le man man or reaso reasona nabl blee pers person on san! san!ar ar! ! "s a le#a le#all $"% $"%"o "on n ha ha or"#"nae! "n he !e&elopmen o$ he %ommon la'( The reasonable person "s a h)pohe"%al "n!"&"!*al 'hose &"e' o$ h"n#s "s %ons*le! "n he pro%ess o$ ma+"n# !e%"s"ons o$ la'( The ,*es"on- .Ho' 'o*l! a reasonable person a% *n!er he %"r%*msan%es. per$orms a %r""%al role "n le#al reason"n# "n areas s*%h as ne#l"#en%e an! %onra% la'(/

 Blyth v Birmingham Waterworks Waterworks Co (1856) 11 Exch 781

A 'aer %ompan) ha&"n# obser&e! he !"re%"ons o$ he A% o$ 0arl"amen "n la)"n# !o'n he"r p"pes "s no respons"ble $or an es%ape o$ 'aer $rom hem no %a*s %a*se! e! b) he" he"rr o'n o'n ne#l ne#l"# "#en en%e %e(( 1The 1The $a% $a%-- ha ha he" he"rr pre%a pre%a* *"o "ons ns pro& pro&e! e! "ns*$$"%"en "ns*$$"%"en a#a"ns he e$$e%s o$ a '"ner o$ e2reme e2reme %ol!ness- s*%h as no man %o*l! ha&e $oreseen- "s no s*$$"%"en o ren!er hem l"able $or ne#l"#en%e( 1F"re1  pl*#s properl) proper l) %onsr*%e! ha&"n# been "nsere! as sa$e) &al&es "n hese p"pes"n p*rs*an%e o$ he"r A%31- per Bram'ell- B(- ha he %ompan) are no l"able $or no remo&"n# a%%*m*la"ons o$ "%e "n he srees o&er s*%h pl*#s( Th"s 'as an appeal b) he !e$en!ans a#a"ns he !e%"s"on o$ he 4*!#e o$ he Co*n) Co*r o$ B"rm"n#ham( The %ase 'as r"e! be$ore a 4*r)- an! a &er!"% $o*n! $or he pla"n"$$ $or he amo*n %la"me! b) he par"%*lars( The par"%*lars o$ he %la"m alle#e!- ha he pla"n"$$ so*#h o re%o&er $or !ama#e s*sa"ne! b) he pla"n"$$ b) reason o$ he ne#l"#en%e o$ he !e$en!ans "n no +eep"n# he"r 'aer1p"pes an! he appara*s %onne%e! here'"h "n proper or!er( The %ase sae! ha he !e$en!ans 'ere "n%orporae! b) sa( 5 Geo( 6- %( %"2( $or he p*rpose o$ s*ppl)"n# B"rm"n#ham '"h 'aer( B) he 76h se%"on o$ he"r A% " 'as ena%e!- ha he %ompan) sho*l!- *pon he la)"n# !o'n o$ an) ma"n1p"pe or oher p"pe "n an) sree- $"2- a he "me o$ la)"n# !o'n s*%h p"pe- a  proper an! s*$$"%"en $"re1pl*# "n ea%h s*%h sree- an! sho*l! !el"&er he +e) or +e)s o$ s*%h $"re1pl*# o he persons ha&"n# he %are o$ he en#"ne ho*se "n or near o he sa"! sree- an! %a*se anoher +e) o be h*n# *p "n he 'a%h1ho*se "n or near o he sa"! sree( B) se%( 75- p"pes 'ere o be e"#heen "n%hes  beneah he s*r$a%e o$ he so"l( B) he 78h se%"on- he ma"ns 'ere a all "mes o be +ep %har#e! '"h 'aer( The !e$en!ans !er"&e! no pro$" $rom he ma"nenan%e o$ he pl*#s !"s"n% $rom he #eneral pro$"s o$ he 'hole b*s"ness b* s*%h ma"nenan%e 'as one o$ he %on!""ons *n!er 'h"%h he) 'ere  perm"e! o e2er%"se he pr"&"le#es #"&en b) he A%(

The ma"n1p"pe oppos"e he ho*se o$ he pla"n"$$ 'as more han e"#heen "n%hes  belo' he s*r$a%e( The $"re1pl*# 'as %onsr*%e! a%%or!"n# o he bes +no'n s)sem- an! he maer"als o$ " 'ere a he "me o$ he a%%"!en so*n! an! "n #oo! or!er( On he 96h o$ Febr*ar)- a lar#e ,*an") o$ 'aer- es%ap"n# $rom he ne%+ o$ he ma"n- $or%e! "s 'a) hro*#h he #ro*n! "no he pla"n"$$:s ho*se( The appara*s ha! been la"! !o'n 9; )ears- an! ha! 'or+e! 'ell !*r"n# ha "me( The !e$en! !e$en!an ans< s< en#"ne en#"neer er sae! sae!-- ha ha he 'aer m"#h m"#h ha&e ha&e $or%e! $or%e! "s 'a) hro*#h he br"%+'or+ ro*n! he ne%+ o$ he ma"n- an! ha he a%%"!en m"#h ha&e been %a*se! b) he $ros- "nasm*%h as he e2pans"on o$ he 'aer 'o*l! $or%e *p he pl*# o* o$ he ne%+- an! he sopper be"n# en%r*se! '"h "%e 'o*l! no s*$$er he pl*# o as%en!( One o$ he se&eres $ross on re%or! se "n on he =;h o$ >an*ar)- =7;;- an! %on"n*e! *n"l a$er he a%%"!en "n ,*es"on( An "n%r*sa"on o$ "%e an! sno' ha! #ahere! abo* he sopper- an! "n he sree all ro*n!- an! also $or some "n%hes be'een he sopper an! he pl*#( The "%e ha! been obser&e! on he s*r$a%e o$ he #ro*n! $or a %ons"!erable "me be$ore he a%%"!en( A shor "me a$er he a%%"!en- he %ompan):s *rn%o%+ remo&e! he "%e $rom he sopper- oo+ o* he pl*#- an! repla%e! "( The 4*!#e le$ " o he 4*r) o %ons"!er 'heher he %ompan) ha! *se! proper %are o pre&en he a%%"!en( He ho*#h ha- "$ he !e$en!ans ha! a+en o* he "%e a!her"n# o he pl*#- he a%%"!en 'o*l! no ha&e happene!- an! le$ " o he  4*r) o sa) 'heher he) o*#h o ha&e remo&e! remo&e! he "%e( The 4*r) $o*n! a &er!"% $or he pla"n"$$ $or he s*m %la"me!(

THE OBJECTIVE STANDARD

Glasgow Corporation v Muir [1943 ! A"" ER 44# HL

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