1 B.C.L.

2011/2012

TORT

Handout No 5

The Nature of the Loss Sustained.

Nervous Shock.
Historical Development.
Lynch v Knight 11 E.R. 854 (1861).
Nervous Shock Suffered Through Fear Of Direct Personal Injury.
Victoria Railway Cmmrs v Coultas (1888) 13 AC 222.**
Byrne v Southern & Western R'way Co Unrep CA (1884).***
Bell v Gr Northern R'way Co 26 L.R. 428 Excq Div 1890.
Dulieu v White [1901] 2 K.B. 669.**
Hogg v Keane [1956] I.R. 155.***
Page v Smith [1995] 2 All E.R. 736 *****
Shock Suffered Through Fear Of Injury To Relatives.
Hambrook v Stokes Bros. [1925] 1 K.B. 141 CA.**
King v Philips [1953] 1 Q.B. 429.**
Boardman v Sanderson [1964] 1 W.L.R. 1317.**
Hinz v Berry [1970] 2 Q.B. 400.**
Chadwick v British Transport Commissioners [1967] 2 All E.R. 945 **
Strangers.
Bourhill v Young [1943] A.C. 92.***
Employees
White v. C.C. for South Yorkshire [1999] 1 All E.R. 1
Waters v. Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, The Times, 27/7/2000 - nervous shock
claim by female police officer resulting from alleged rape by a colleague whereby superiors
failed to investigate claim and permitted fellow officers to criticise, harass, victimise and
oppress her.
Dooley v. Cammell Laird [1951] 1 Lloyd's Report 271
Curran v. Cadbury's Ltd, [2000] 2 ILRM 321 *****
Employee causes conveyor belt to restart whilst fitter inside machine conducting repairs.
Employee suffers shock on thinking that fitter has been seriously injured in what appears to
be an accident. Liability of employer to employee in these circumstances. Review of recent
English authorities (White and Frost).
Fletcher v. Commissioners for Public Works in Ireland [2003] 2 ILRM 94
Sexual Abuse by Social Services / Foster Child
C. v. Flintshire Co. Co. [2001] FLR 121 - psychological harm resulting form bullying and
abuse (sexual, emotional and physical whilst resident in a home)
L & P v. Reading Borough Council [2001] FLR 151- mother, suffering from Munchausen
syndrome by proxy, falsely accused father of sexually abusing daughter resulting in child
being taken into care and damaging the parent child relationship. Both local authority and
police found negligent.
W. v. Essex Co. Co., [2000] 2 All ER 237, [2001] 2 AC 592, [2000] 2 WLR 69***** Action
by foster parents could proceed where foster child placed with them in direct contravention
of plaintiff's expressed wishes.
Barrett v. Enfield [2001] AC 550, [1999] 3 WLR 79, [1999] 3 All ER 193. ***** Action by

foster child against local authority

Action by a relative against a relative.
Greatorex v. Greatorex, [2000] 1 W.L.R. 1970
An action by a father for nervous shock taken against his son, who was the sole cause of his
injuries in a RTA was unsustainable on grounds of public policy. The father could not fall
within the "rescuer" category.
The Aftermath Doctrine.
McGloughlin v O'Brian [1982] 2 All E.R. 298.**** (limiting factors)
Abramzik v Brenner (1968) Vol 65 D.L.R. 651.**
Brice v Brown [1984] 1 All E.R. 997.**
Jaensch v Coffey 54 ALR 417 (1884), 1986 C.L.J.476.***
Mulally v Bus Eireann [1992] I.L.R.M 722.***
Hevican v Ruane [1991] 3 All E.R. 65.**
Ravenscroft v Rederiaktiebolaget Transatlantic [1991] 3 All E.R. 73. **
Kelly v Hennessy [1996] 1 I.L.R.M. 321 *****
McFarlane v E E Caladonia Ltd, [1994] 2 All ER 1., Case Report New Law Journal Oct 1st
1993 p 1367 ***
Alcock v Wright HL [1991] Vol 4 All E.R. 902 (Part 12)****.
Frost v. C.C. for South Yorkshire, The Times October 31 1996 CA
White v. C.C. for South Yorkshire [1999] 1 All E.R. 1 *****
MacCarthy v. Murphy, Unreported High Court 10/2/98, McCracken J. - depression after
RTA.
Vernon v. Bosley [1997] 1 All E.R. 597 ***** PTSD and PGD as a result of witnessing
failed rescues attempt of children drowning in a river.
Cuddy v. Mays, Unreported High Court 28/11/03 ***** (brother / hospital porter)
Shock Caused By Professional Negligence.
McLoughlin v. Jones [2002] 2 W.L.R. 1279 *****
Shock Caused By Damage To Property.
Attia v British Gas plc [1987] 3 All E.R. 455, [1988] Q.B. 304.***
Forseeable Consequences of shock
Giblett v. N.E. Murray Ltd, The Times, May 25 1999 - inability to have sexual relationship
and a family recoverable in principle but not here proven in this case as causally linked to the
defendant's conduct. Evidence that the relationship between the parties had deteriorated
prior to the accident.
Pure Psychiatric Harm
Tame v. NWS, (2002) 76 ALJR 1348, 171 ALR 449, 2002 HCA 35 (5/9/02)
(www.austlii.edu.au)
Gradual Causing of Nervous Shock
Annetts v. Australian Stations, (2002) 76 ALJR 1348, 171 ALR 449, 2002 HCA 35 (5/9/02)
(www.austlii.edu.au)
Informing children of fathers death
Gifford v. Strang Patrick Stevedoring, 2003 HCA 33 (www.uastlii.edu.au)

Economic Loss
The Exclusionary Rule.
Cattle v Stockton Waterworks Co (1875) L.R. 10 Q.B. 453 ***.
Simpson v Thompson (1877) 3 App. Cas. 279 **.
Exceptions. (Sufficient Proprietary Interest)
Time Charterers/Charterers By Demise.
The Winkfield [1902] P. 42 **.
The Oakhampton [1913] P. 173 **.
Bennets Case [1911] 1 K.B. 243 ***.
Joint Ventures.
Maine v Leask (1910) S.C.R. 772 **.
Hanna v McKibben (1940) N.I.L.R. 120 ***.
Morrison Steamship Co Ltd v Greystokes Castle Ltd [1940] A.C. 265 **(Recovery refused).
Burgess v Florence Nightingale Hospital [1955] 1 Q.B. 349 ** (Recovery refused).
Wimpey Construction (UK) Ltd v Martin Black & Co (Wire Ropes) Ltd 1982 SLT 239
***.
CNR v. NPS 91 D.L.R. (4th) p. 289 ******.
Actio Per Quod Servitium Amisit.(Master/Servant)
Recovery Under Other Tortious Heads.
Boyd v Gr N. R'way Co [1895] 2 I.R. 555 ***.
General Rule Excluding Recovery Post Donoghue v Stevenson.
Hedley Byrne v Heller.Supra.
Weller v Foot & Mouth Disease Research Institute [1966] 1 Q.B. 569 ***.
Konstaninidis V World Tanker Corp (The World Harmony) [1967] P. 341 **.
The Weir Breeze [1967] 3 All E.R. 775, [1969] 1 Q.B. 210 ***.
Interruptions To Public Utility Services
SCM (UK) Ltd v Whitall [1971] 1 Q.B. 337/[1970] 3 All E.R. 215 ***.
Spartan Steel & Alloys Ltd v Martin & Co [1973] 1 Q.B. 27 ***.
Irish Paper Sacks v Sisk Unrep HC O'Keeffe P. 18 May 1972 ***.
Star Villiage Tavern v Nield (1976) 71 D.L.R. 3d 175 ***.
Gypsum Carriers v The Queen (1977) 78 D.L.R. 3d 175 **.
Retreat From The Exclusionary Rule.
Dominion Tape of Canada Ltd v L.R. McDonald & Sons (1971) 21 D.L.R. 3d 299 ***.
Spartan Steel v Martin.Supra.Dissenting judgement of Lord Edmund Davies.
Caltex Oil v The Dredge Williamsted (1976 - 77) 136 C.L.R. 529
****. Followed in
Yumerovski v Dani (1977) 83 D.L.R. 3d 558 affm'd 120 D.L.R. 3d 768 ***.

Recovery Allowed Where Special Knowledge.

Ross v Caunters [1979] 3 All E.R. 580/[1980] Ch. 297 ***.
The Irene Success [1982] Q.B. 481, [1982] 1 All E.R. 218 ***.
Recent Developments.
Leigh & Sullivan v Aliakmon Shipping Co Ltd [1986] 2 All E.R. 145 ***. Followed
Candlewood Navigation Corp Ltd v Mitsui OSK Lines (The Mineral Transporter) [1986]
A.C. 1, [1985] 2 All E.R. 935 ****.
Esso Petroleum v Hall Russell & Co Ltd [1989] A.C. 643, [1989] 1 All E.R. 37 ***.
Cotter v Minister for Agriculture Unrep HC 15/11/91 Murphy J / Unrep SC 1/4/93 ****
CNR v. NPS 91 D.L.R. (4th) p. 289 ******.
McShane v. Johnson Haulage Unrep HC 19/1/96 Flood J. ***
Beatty v. The Rent Tribunal, 21/10/05. Supreme Court, [2005] IESC 66 *****
Perre v. Apand pty, (1999) 73 ALJR 1190 - recovery for pure economic loss allowed. ******
Bow Valley Husky v. St Johns Shipping [1997] SCR 1210. *****
Customs and Excise v. Barclays Bank plc 2006 UKHL 28 *****

Futher Reading
McGrath. The Recovery Of Pure Economic Loss In Negligence. An Emerging Dichotomy
5 Ox.J.L.S. 350 1985. *****
Atiyah. Negligence And Economic Loss.83 L.Q.R. 248.
O'Sullivan.Is Pure Economic Loss A Lost Cause ?.Irish Student Law Review Vol 1 1991
109.
@P. Ward., May 7, 2016