The plaintiff and his wife had been thrown from the roof of a coach. The plaintiff sought damages for the loss of his wife’s ‘comfort, fellowship, and assistance’.
Held: The claim failed in part: ‘the jury could only take into consideration the bruises which the plaintiff had himself sustained, and the loss of his wife’s society, and the distress of mind he had suffered on her account, from the time of the accident till the moment of her dissolution. In a civil Court, the death of a human being could not be complained of as an injury; and in this case the damages, as to the plaintiff’s wife, must stop with the period of her existence. ‘
Judges:
Lord Ellenborough
Citations:
[1808] EWCC J38, [1808] EWHC KB J92, (1808) 1 Camp 493, 170 ER 1033
Links:
Jurisdiction:
England and Wales
Cited by:
Cited – Cox v Ergo Versicherung Ag SC 2-Apr-2014
The deceased army officer serving in Germany died while cycling when hit by a driver insured under German law. His widow, the claimant, being domiciled in England brought her action here, claiming for bereavement and loss of dependency. The Court . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.
Personal Injury, Damages
Updated: 09 July 2022; Ref: scu.248377