Legal Case Studies
The Legal Theory of Fault
The idea of liability for fault is very old. But the other case studies show that the law had to change to meet the needs of modern society. How was this reflected in the way lawyers wrote about liability for fault?
Development of Medical Liability
If a patient is made ill as a result of medical treatment, when can he sue the doctor or the hospital? Since 1850, we have higher expectations that doctors can cure us, and medical treatments have become more sophisticated. How has the law changed to reflect these expectations?
Technological Changes and Risks
Mechanisation and new technologies created new hazards for workers and the wider community. This case study looks at how the law coped with three of those new risks: exploding boilers, sparks from steam railway trains, and, more recently, asbestos.
Liability for Products
If a consumer is injured by a product, when can she sue the manufacturer? Particularly since 1950, there are more consumer products and they are more complex. How far have laws invented for an agrarian economy coped with the consumer revolution?
Liability between neighbours
If a company builds a factory on land near my house which ruins my enjoyment of my home, can I be compensated? Industrialisation and the growth of cities created new types of conflict between neighbours. How far were laws invented for an agrarian economy able to cope?
Liability for Railway and Road Accidents
Traffic accidents have always happened. But railways and cars created much greater risks to far more people. How was the law invented for the age of the horse and cart able to change to meet the problems caused by modern forms of transport?
