Facts
A friend bought Mrs Donoghue a bottle of ginger beer in a café. The opaque bottle allegedly contained a decomposed snail, and she claimed she fell ill. She had no contract with the manufacturer.
Issue
Does a manufacturer owe a to the ultimate consumer with whom it has no contract?
Held
Yes. A manufacturer owes a duty to take reasonable care that its products do not injure the ultimate consumer.
Principle
Lord Atkin's neighbour principle: take reasonable care to avoid acts or omissions you can reasonably foresee would be likely to injure your neighbour.
Why it matters
The foundation of the modern of (the locus classicus).
Cited in these chapters
Cite this page
Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] AC 562 (Lanbuk) <https://www.lanbuk.com/llb/torts/cases/donoghue-v-stevenson> accessed 31 October 2026
This summary is a Lanbuk study aid based on the generally known facts and reports of the case. It is not legal advice.