Please note: The judge was Erle CJ.
Facts
Bags of sugar fell from the defendants' warehouse onto the claimant, a customs officer.
Issue
Could be inferred without evidence of how the accident happened?
Held
Yes; the accident was evidence of negligence in the absence of an explanation.
Principle
Erle CJ's statement of : where the thing is under the defendant's management and the accident would not ordinarily happen with proper care, it is reasonable evidence of negligence.
Why it matters
The classic definition of res ipsa loquitur.
Cited in these chapters
Cite this page
Scott v London and St Katherine Docks Co (1865) 3 H & C 596 (Lanbuk) <https://www.lanbuk.com/llb/torts/cases/scott-v-london-and-st-katherine-docks> 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.