Facts
A gas-fitter came onto the defendant's premises on business to test gas fittings. He fell through an unfenced shaft in the floor.
Issue
What duty does an occupier owe to a person who enters on business (an )?
Held
The occupier was liable.
Principle
An occupier must use reasonable care to prevent damage to an invitee from unusual dangers that he knows or ought to know of.
Why it matters
The classic common law statement of the duty owed to invitees.
Cited in these chapters
Cite this page
Indermaur v Dames (1866) LR 1 CP 274; affirmed (1867) LR 2 CP 311 (Lanbuk) <https://www.lanbuk.com/llb/torts/cases/indermaur-v-dames> accessed 31 October 2026
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This summary is a Lanbuk study aid based on the generally known facts and reports of the case. It is not legal advice.