Donoghue v Stevenson (1932)

🐌 DONOGHUE v STEVENSON (1932)

The case of the century — involving a bottle, a café, and one very unlucky snail.

What Happened?

In 1928, May Donoghue visited a café in Paisley with a friend. Her friend ordered her a ginger beer float. The bottle was opaque, so no one could see inside. After drinking some, Donoghue discovered — to her horror — the decomposed remains of a snail.

She became ill and sued the manufacturer, David Stevenson, even though she had no contract with him. This raised a huge question:

Can you owe a duty of care to someone you’ve never met?

Why the Case Mattered

Before this case, the law didn’t clearly protect consumers who weren’t part of a contract. Donoghue v Stevenson changed that. It established that manufacturers owe a duty of care to the people who use their products — even if they never meet them.

This case laid the foundation for modern negligence law.

Key Points for Students

•      No contract? No problem — duty of care can still exist.

•      Manufacturers must take reasonable care.

•      Consumers deserve protection.

•      Negligence law begins here.

Famous Quote

“You must take reasonable care to avoid acts or omissions which you can reasonably foresee would be likely to injure your neighbour.” — Lord Atkin

Classroom Discussion Questions

•      Why was this case so groundbreaking?

•      Should manufacturers always be responsible for harm caused by their products?

•      What counts as “reasonable care”?