It was 28th August, 1928, and it was a warm summer's night in Paisley, a little town in the west of Scotland. May Donoghue was meeting a friend in a little café in the west end of the town. May decided to order a ginger beer and ice cream drink. No story there, you might think. Think again! What was about to happen would impact May's life, and ... maybe just about every other person who has since lived on the planet!

And that is where I come in! There I was, just minding my own business, when I was thrust... no, deposited, into a story that would make national and international news. Oh.. and just shape and change the law of virtually every country in the world... forever!

Yes, not bad for a little snail, eh? So, you are probably wondering what happened to make the Paisley Snail case so famous.

Well... herein lies...

If you prefer its full name: Donoghue v Stevenson UK HL 100

just happens to be the most famous case in United Kingdom law, and one of the most influential cases in the creation of law around the world.

So, how did a little snail come into it, and end up in the House of Lords? Well, there lies the story. The dramatic appearance of a little snail out of the contents of her ginger beer bottle caused May to initiate a legal action against the manufacturer of the ginger beer, David Stevenson.

The case went to trial, and the court ultimately found for May, establishing the principle of the "duty of care" in tort law. The court held that manufacturers owe a duty of care to consumers, regardless of whether there is a contract between them. And because of its importance, the principles from the Paisley Snail case have been applied way beyond manufacturing. So much so, that the effects probably help us retain our health, safety, and security every day, as we go about our daily lives.