Corr v IBC Vehicles Ltd
| Corr v IBC Vehicles Ltd | |
|---|---|
| Court | House of Lords |
| Citation | [2008] UKHL 13, [2008] AC 884 |
Corr v IBC Vehicles Ltd [2008] UKHL 13 is an English tort law case,[1] concerning causation between a breach of duty and damage.
Facts
Deceased killed himself after becoming depressed following a bad accident that IBC Vehicles was responsible for.
Judgment
The House of Lords rejected that suicide was a novus actus interveniens that prevented the widow claiming loss of deependency under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976.[2]
Lord Bingham, rational of the novus actus principle was it is not fair to hold a defendant liable for damage caused by someone else. An example of a new cause was ‘a voluntary, informed decision taken by the victim as an adult of sound mind.’ But the suicide was not a voluntary, informed decision of this kind. It was a response of a man suffering severe mental illness, impairing his capacity.
Lord Neuberger [65] asked whether deceased had ‘no real “fault” ... for his suicide.’ Majority held suicide did justify reduction in damages for contributory negligence. He retained some capacity.
See also
References
- ^ Corr v IBC Vehicles Ltd [2008] UKHL 13, [2008] 1 AC 884, [2008] AC 884, [2008] 2 WLR 499, [2008] 2 All ER 943, [2008] ICR 372, [2008] PIQR P11 (27 February 2008)
- ^ D Nolan and K Oliphant, Lunney & Oliphant's Tort Law: Text and Materials (7th edn 2023) ch 5, 280