Donoghue vs. Stevenson (1932) AC 562 (HL)
Facts of this case Mrs. May Donoghue, the plaintiff, was given a bottle of ginger beer by a friend at a café in Paisley, Scotland. The ginger beer, manufactured by Mr. Stevenson, was in an opaque bottle, making it impossible to inspect the contents before consumption. After consuming part of the drink, Mrs. Donoghue discovered a decomposed snail inside the bottle, which caused her to suffer from shock and severe gastroenteritis. Since she had not personally purchased the drink, she could not sue under contract law. Instead, she filed a lawsuit against the manufacturer, David Stevenson, for negligence, arguing that he had a duty to ensure that his product was safe for consumption. The case reached the House of Lords, where the central issue was whether the manufacturer owed a duty of care to the ultimate consumer, even in the absence of a direct contractual relationship. Issues raised in this case before the judge Does a manufacturer owe a duty of care to the ultimate consumer of ...