Negligence in building design and construction
Tort is a collection of civil law remedies entitling a person to recover damages for loss and injury which have been caused by the actions, omissions or statements of another person in such circumstances that the latter was in breach of a duty or obligation imposed at law.
In tort, duties and obligations are created by the courts applying common law, which has, on the basis of previous authority fallen into three distinct categories:
The tort of negligence is concerned with a breach of a duty to take care. In order to succeed in an action for negligence, a plaintiff must prove:
- The defendant owed to the plaintiff a legal duty of care, and,
- The defendant was in breach of duty, and,
- The plaintiff has suffered damage as a result of that breach.
The legal duty of care referred to is one that arises independently of a contractual obligation and, indeed, in the absence of a contract. Over many years the courts have produced a long series of decisions to assist in deciding whether or not, on particular facts, a duty of care arises.
Some of the key cases are listed below. Clicking on the links will take you to articles describing each case.
- Donoghue v Stevenson (1932).
- Hedley Byrne & Co Ltd v Heller & Partners Ltd (1963, 1964).
- Dutton v Bognor Regis UDC and Another (1972).
- Anns v Merton London Borough Council (1977, 1978).
- Junior Books Ltd v Veitchi Co Ltd (1982).
- Governors of the Peabody Donation Fund v Sir Lindsay Parkinson & Co Ltd (1984).
- Muirhead v Industrial Tank Specialists Ltd (1985, 1986).
- Leigh & Sillivan Ltd v Aliakmon Shipping Co Ltd (1986).
- Curran and Another v Northern Ireland Co Ownership Housing Association Ltd and Another (1986, 1987).
- D&F Estates Limited and Others v Church Commissioners for England and others (1988, 1989).
- Murphy v Brentwood District Council (1990, 1991).
- Henderson and Others v Merrett Syndicates Ltd and Others (1994, 1995).
- White v Jones (1995).
- Gable House Estates Ltd v The Halpern Partnership and Another (1995).
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
Costs and insolvencies mount for SMEs, despite growth
Construction sector under insolvency and wage bill pressure in part linked to National Insurance, says report.
The place for vitrified clay pipes in modern infrastructure
Why vitrified clay pipes are reclaiming their role in built projects.
Research by construction PR consultancy LMC published.
Roles and responsibilities of domestic clients
ACA Safety in Construction guide for domestic clients.
Fire door compliance in UK commercial buildings
Architect and manufacturer gives their low down.
Plumbing and heating for sustainability in new properties
Technical Engineer runs through changes in regulations, innovations in materials, and product systems.
Awareness of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism
What CBAM is and what to do about it.
The new towns and strategic environmental assessments
12 locations of the New Towns Taskforce reduced to 7 within the new towns draft programme and open consultation.
Buildings that changed the future of architecture. Book review.
The Sustainability Pathfinder© Handbook
Built environment agency launches free Pathfinder© tool to help businesses progress sustainability strategies.
Government outcome to the late payment consultation, ECA reacts.
IHBC 2025 Gus Astley Student Award winners
Work on the role of hewing in UK historic conservation a win for Jack Parker of Oxford Brookes University.
Future Homes Building Standards and plug-in solar
Parts F and L amendments, the availability of solar panels and industry responses.
How later living housing can help solve the housing crisis
Unlocking homes, unlocking lives.
Preparing safety case reports for HRBs under the BSA
A new practical guide to preparing structural inputs for safety cases and safety case reports published by IStructE.
Male construction workers and prostate cancer
CIOB and Prostate Cancer UK encourage awareness of prostate cancer risks, and what to do about it.