Paris v Stepney Borough Council [1951]

Court: House of Lords

Facts: The claimant, Paris, who had lost sight in one eye during the Second World War, was employed in a garage. He was not provided with safety goggles while working with dangerous equipment. A piece of metal struck his remaining eye, causing blindness. The council had a policy of providing safety goggles only to employees working as welders or tool-grinders. Paris sued his employer for negligence.

Issue: The key issue was the standard of care owed by the employer, specifically whether the employer's duty of care should account for the claimant's unique vulnerability due to his pre-existing condition.

Held: The House of Lords held that the employer was in breach of its duty of care. The court determined that the standard of care should be adjusted to consider the claimant's known characteristics, specifically his condition of having only one functioning eye. The employer's duty was not based on what was normal practice for most employees but rather on the increased risk of serious harm to Paris due to his specific situation.

Key Judicial Statement: Lord Normand emphasized, "In determining the standard of care, one must take into account the particular circumstances of the claimant, including any known vulnerabilities. The duty of care is not determined by the standard practices applied to the average employee but by the seriousness of the potential harm to the individual concerned."

💡LevelUpLaw: Paris v Stepney Borough Council is significant because it established that the standard of care owed by an employer must be tailored to the specific needs and vulnerabilities of individual employees, not just the general practices for most workers. The case reinforces the idea that employers must consider the unique risks faced by their employees and take appropriate precautions.