Question:

Legal Principles:
1. According to rule of strict liability, any person who for his own purposes brings on his lands and collects and keeps there anything likely to do mischief if it escapes, must keep it in at his peril, and, if he does not do so, is prima facie answerable for all the damage, irrespective of fault, which is the natural consequence of its escape in respect of the non-natural use of land.
2. A person is liable if he can reasonably foresee that his acts would be likely to injure his neighbour.
Facts: PN was the owner of a gas pipe which passed under the surface of an old railway between Ramnagar and Kotpur. XY was the local council which was responsible for a water pipe which supplied water to a block of flats in the nearby Shining Apartment Complex. A leak developed which was undetected for some time. The water collected at an embankment which housed PN's high pressure gas main. The water caused the embankment to collapse and left the gas main exposed and unsupported. This was a serious and immediate risk and PN took action to avoid the potential danger. They then sought to recover the cost of the remedial works. PN argued that the XY Council was liable for negligence under strict liability.

  • The Council is liable under strict liability rule as the damage is not remote as it was possible for the Council to reasonably foresee a leakage which would eventually lead to collapse of the gas main.
  • The escape of water as a result of leak is sufficient to make the Council liable.
  • The Council is not liable as PN should have been careful in detecting the leak carlier. They cannot shift the blame on the Council.
  • The Council is not liable under rule of strict liability for the damage as the Council's use was neither a non- natural nor dangerous use of the land.
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The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

The correct option is (D):The Council is not liable under rule of strict liability for the damage as the Council's use was neither a non- natural nor dangerous use of the land..
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