Donoghue v Stevenson - A Landmark Case in Negligence Law

Donoghue is a famous Scottish case that was decided in the House of Lords in 1932. The case involved a claim by Mrs. May Donoghue, who had consumed a bottle of ginger beer that was contaminated with a decomposed snail, which caused her to contract pneumonia and almost die. She sued the manufacturer, Mr. Stevenson, for negligence and breach of duty of care.

The case is significant because it established the principle of "duty of care" in negligence law, which requires that producers and suppliers take reasonable care to ensure that their products are safe for consumption and do not pose a risk to consumers' health. The case also established the concept of "neighborhood" in negligence law, which holds that producers and suppliers have a duty of care to consumers who are not their direct customers, but who may be affected by their products.

In Donoghue v Stevenson, the House of Lords held that Mr. Stevenson owed a duty of care to Mrs. Donoghue, even though she was not his direct customer, because she had consumed his product and had been injured as a result. The case established the principle that producers and suppliers have a responsibility to ensure that their products are safe for consumption and do not pose a risk to consumers' health, regardless of whether they are direct customers or not.