Question

Which famous English case is also known as "the snail in the bottle case"?

• A. Ashby vs. White
• B. Rylands vs. Fletchers
• C. Donoghue v. Stevenson
• D. Nichols vs. Marsland

Hint:

The \textit{Donoghue v. Stevenson} case is crucial in understanding product liability and negligence laws.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

The case of \textit{Donoghue v. Stevenson} (1932) is famously known as "the snail in the bottle case." It is a landmark case in English tort law that established the modern concept of negligence. The case involved a woman, May Donoghue, who drank a bottle of ginger beer containing a decomposed snail, leading to her suffering. It was held that the manufacturer owed a duty of care to the consumer, even though the two parties had no direct contract.

Answer 2

The famous English case known as “the snail in the bottle case” is Donoghue v. Stevenson (1932). It is a foundational case in the development of modern law of negligence and is considered one of the most important decisions in English tort law.

Background of the Case:
In this case, Mrs. Donoghue consumed a bottle of ginger beer purchased by her friend at a café in Paisley, Scotland. The bottle, manufactured by Mr. Stevenson, allegedly contained the decomposed remains of a snail. Since the bottle was opaque, the contents were not visible, and the contamination was discovered only after consumption. Mrs. Donoghue suffered from illness as a result and brought legal action against the manufacturer.

Legal Issue:
There was no direct contract between Mrs. Donoghue and the manufacturer since the bottle was purchased by her friend. The key legal issue was whether a manufacturer owed a duty of care to the ultimate consumer in the absence of a direct contractual relationship.

Judgment:
The House of Lords held in favor of Mrs. Donoghue. Lord Atkin famously laid down the "neighbour principle," stating:
"You must take reasonable care to avoid acts or omissions which you can reasonably foresee would be likely to injure your neighbour."
Here, a "neighbour" was defined as anyone who might be reasonably affected by one’s actions.

Significance:
- Established the modern principle of negligence.
- Introduced the concept of duty of care beyond contractual relationships.
- Influenced legal systems across the world, including India.

Conclusion:
The correct answer is: Donoghue v. Stevenson, famously known as "the snail in the bottle case", which laid the foundation of the duty of care in tort law.