The claimant appealed against rejection of his claim for personal injuries. The deceased whilst suffering mental illness poured petrol on himself and ignited it. The claimant was injured seeking to prevent this. The events occurred in the deceased’s home and he had insurance. The claimant appealed against athe deciion which had found that the deceased’s duty of care was negatived by his mental condition.
Held: If the person had a legal duty of care to a claimant, that duty need not be negatived by his mental condition. The standard required was that of a reasonable person, not that of a treasonable person with that mental condition. The legal analysis of responsibility does not rest of a false distinction between physical and mental conditions.
Arden, Rafferty, Vos LJJ
[2015] EWCA Civ 673, [2015] WLR(D) 287, [2016] PIQR P1, [2016] MHLR 117, [2016] 2 WLR 839, [2016] QB 639
Bailii, WLRD
England and Wales
Personal Injury, Negligence
Updated: 01 January 2022; Ref: scu.549750