Paris v Stepney Borough Council [1951]

Paris v Stepney Borough Council [1951] AC 367 is an English tort law case decided by the House of Lords concerning the standard of care.

The claimant had suffered damage to one of his eyes during the Second World War and was left with sight in only one eye. Employed in a garage, he was not provided with safety goggles while working with dangerous equipment. A piece of metal hit him in his undamaged eye, causing him to be blinded. The council provided eye protection goggles only to employees working as welders or tool-grinders. The claimant sued his employer in the tort of negligence.

The central issue was what factors were relevant in determining how the reasonable person would behave, specifically in providing safety equipment, and thus when the defendant would be in breach of their duty of care. The defendant argued that it was not normal practice to provide safety goggles to normally-sighted employees and, therefore, it was not obligated to provide them to the claimant.

The court found that the defendant was in breach of its duty of care to the claimant. The key consideration was the seriousness of the harm that might be caused to the claimant, taking into account his known characteristics, particularly the fact that he had sight in only one eye. The duty owed by the defendant was specific to the particular employee, considering all his known characteristics, rather than a hypothetical 'reasonable' employee. Because the claimant had only one functioning eye, the potential harm was significantly greater than that for a normally-sighted person. As a result, a reasonable person, in light of the claimant's specific situation, would have taken greater steps than usual to protect him.

This case established that the duty of care owed by an employer is specific to the individual employee, considering their known characteristics. The seriousness of potential harm is a relevant factor in determining the standard of care, and employers may be required to take additional precautions for employees with known vulnerabilities or disabilities.

The decision highlighted that what is reasonable depends on the particular circumstances of the individual, and the duty of care is not determined solely by the general practices applicable to the majority.
Back to blog
UOLLB SQE Turbocharge

UOLLB SQE Turbocharge

Get ready for the SQE1 with high-performance SQE Study Guides developed by UOLLB and published by UOL Press to revolutionise your study method and exam strategy.

Turbocharge SQE Performance

UOL Case Bank

Upon joining, you become a valuable UOL student and gain instant access to over 2,100 essential case summaries. UOL Case Bank is constantly expanding.
Speed up your revision with us now👇

Subscribe Now

Where are our students from?

Council of Europe
Crown Prosecution Service
Baker Mckenzie 
Yale University
University of Chicago
Columbia University
New York University
University of Michigan 
INSEAD
University of London
University College London (UCL)
London School of Economics (LSE)
King’s College London (KCL)
Royal Holloway, University of London 
Birkbeck, University of London
SOAS, University of London
University of Manchester
University of Zurich
University of York
Brandeis University
University of Exeter
University of Sheffield
Boston University
University of Washington
University of Leeds
University of Law
University of Kent
University of Hull
Queen’s University Belfast
Toronto Metropolitan University
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
University of Buckingham
ESSEC Business School

  • Criminal Practice

    Diagrams and Charts

    Our carefully designed diagrams and charts will guide you through complex legal issues.

  • Criminal Law

    Clear and Succinct Definitions

    Key concepts are concisely defined to help you understand legal topics quickly.

  • Property Law

    Statutory Provisions

    Statutory provisions are provided side by side with legal concepts to help you swiftly locate the relevant legislation.

  • Public Law

    Case Summaries

    We have summarised important cases for you so that you don't need to read long and boring cases.

  • Evidence

    Rules and Exceptions

    Rules and exceptions are clearly listed so that you know when a rule applies and when it doesn't.

  • Company Law

    Terminology

    Legal terms and key concepts are explained at the beginning of each chapter to help you learn efficiently.

  • Case Law

    Case law is provided side by side with legal concepts so that you know how legal principles and precedents were established.

  • Law Exam Guide

    Law Essay Guide

    You will learn essential law exam skills and essay writing techniques that are not taught in class.

  • Law Exam Guide

    Problem Question Guide

    We will show you how to answer problem questions step by step to achieve first-class results.

  • Conflict of Laws

    Structured Explanations

    Complex legal concepts are broken down into concise and digestible bullet point explanations.

  • Legal System and Method

    Legal Research

    You will learn legal research techniques with our study guide and become a proficient legal researcher.

  • Jurisprudence and Legal Theory

    Exam-focused

    All essential concepts, principles, and case law are included so that you can answer exam questions quickly.