Acts
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A council which failed to maintain a road ice free when they had decided on the need to prevent icing, and had had the opportunity to prevent it, but failed to take it, were in breach of statutory duty and liable for damages to driver of crashed car. (Aldous LJ dissenting) Judges: Hutchinson and Morritt … Continue reading Goodes v East Sussex County Council: CA 7 Jan 1999
A culvert had been constructed taking a stream underneath the road. At the time when it came into the ownership of the local authority, it was adequate for this purpose. Later developments increased the flow, and the culvert came to become an obstruction leading to the claimant’s property being flooded. It was checked regularly, but … Continue reading Bybrook Barn Garden Centre Ltd and Others v Kent County Council: CA 8 Jan 2001
The claimant, a fireman, sought damages for injuries suffered when he was injured answering a call out. He fell into a depressed area by the road side as he was pulling away a burning wooden pallet. Held: The appeal was dismissed. The court overturned a finding of dangerousness. Laws LJ stressed that the statutory highway … Continue reading Jones v Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council: CA 15 Jul 2008
Appeal against refusal of claim against highway authority. The appellant was injured when her car crashed. A high volume of heavy goods vehicles had been using a local road, damaging the road and verges. Though the road was wide enough for her car to pass a lorry coming toward her, the appellant held to her … Continue reading Rance v Essex County Council: CA 21 Feb 1997
The court considered the extent of defect in a highway needed to found a claim that it was dangerous. It emphasised that the duty must not be made too high, balancing the public need against the private interest.Steyn LJ said: ‘For my part I find it a sterile exercise to make a comparison between the … Continue reading Mills v Barnsley Borough Council: CA 1992
The roadway was regularly closed off when flooded by the sea, and then cleaned up afterwards. The claimant slipped on seaweed on the road. The Council appealed against an award of damages, saying it was not practicable to close the road off to pedestrian, and that it would have been cleaned when the tide retreated. … Continue reading Enion v Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council: CA 9 Feb 1999
‘ proper interpretation of section 119(6) of the Highways Act 1980 (‘the 1980 Act’) which deals with the process for confirmation of an order diverting the line of a public footpath, bridleway or restricted byway.’ Judges: Lord Justice Lewis Citations: [2021] EWCA Civ 241 Links: Bailii Jurisdiction: England and Wales Land Updated: 11 September 2022; … Continue reading Open Spaces Society v Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: CA 25 Feb 2021
The council appealed against a finding that it had failed in its duty to keep the highway safe leading to an accident in which the claimant was severely injured. The road was narrow, and a significant drop had developed by the edge of the road. The claimant drove into the drop, then crashed after swerving … Continue reading West Sussex County Council v Russell: CA 12 Feb 2010
A heavy crane had toppled from a road. The crane owners said that the highway authority were responsible for the poor condition of the road. Held: The action failed. The evidence did not support the assertion that the accident arose from a road insufficiently maintained. Judges: Reddihough HHJ Citations: [2016] EWHC 1767 (QB) Links: Bailii … Continue reading King Lifting Ltd v Oxfordshire County Council: QBD 20 Jul 2016
The claimant injured herself tripping over a depression in the pavement. The council appealed a finding that it was in breach of its duty, saying that it had inspected the footway every six months. Held: The appeal succeeded. Any collapse at this site would be from a cellar underlying the pavement, which might happen suddenly. … Continue reading Harrison v Derby City Council: CA 21 Apr 2008
An accident which occurred when a manhole cover tilted, causing the claimant’s foot to fall through into the hole and causing the claimant injury. Held: The council’s appeal failed. Judges: Teare J Citations: [2006] EWHC 2515 (QB) Links: Bailii Statutes: Highways Act 1980 41(1) 58 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Cited by: Cited – Harrison v … Continue reading Atkins v London Borough of Ealing: QBD 17 Oct 2006
The Council’s duty to maintain a highway is not absolute. It must take reasonable steps to prevent or clear ice forming on pathway. Lord Justice Evans analysed the application of Section 41 to a situation which arose from ice and snow. In any case of this kind there is an obligation on the plaintiff to … Continue reading Cross v Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council: CA 27 Jun 1997
‘The short point for which permission to appeal has been given in this tripping case is said to be whether, granted that a claimant for the purpose of establishing liability under s. 41 of the Highways Act 1980 has to identify the particular defect in the highway that gave rise to his injury, the local … Continue reading Barker v Lancashire County Council: CA 23 May 2013
The clamant sought damages ahving been injured falling from a footbridge. Held: ‘The injuries were not caused by any failure to maintain the highway and the claimant’s claim under the 1980 Act fails. The claimant’s injuries were not the result of any failure by the defendant to take reasonable care to ensure that he was … Continue reading Singh v The City of Cardiff Council: QBD 23 Jun 2017
Statutory Duty Does Not Create Common Law Duty The mere existence of statutory power to remedy a defect cannot of itself create a duty of care to do so. A highway authority need not have a duty of care to highway users because of its duty to maintain the highway. The two stage test ‘involves … Continue reading Stovin v Wise, Norfolk County Council (Third Party): HL 24 Jul 1996
The Council appealed against a finding of liability for injuries suffered by the claimant when slipping on moss on a footpath. Haddon-Cave J [2015] EWHC 3330 (QB) Bailii Highways Act 1980 41 England and Wales Personal Injury Updated: 09 January 2022; Ref: scu.558748
The claimant was driving along a road. He skidded on ice, crashed and was severely injured. He claimed damages saying that the Highway authority had failed to ‘maintain’ the road. Held: The statutory duty on a highway authority to keep a road in repair did not include an absolute duty to remove all ice. The … Continue reading Goodes v East Sussex County Council: HL 16 Jun 2000
Appeal by Cornwall County Council against a decision that it is liable for damage caused by floodwater escaping from one of the roads in the county. Lord Dyson MR, Jackson LJ, Sir Stanley Burnton [2013] EWCA Civ 950, [2013] WLR(D) 329 Bailii, WLRD Highways Act 1980 41(1) 58(1) England and Wales Land, Torts – Other … Continue reading Vernon Knight Associates v Cornwall Council: CA 30 Jul 2013