Facts
A worker suffered a burn on the lip from molten metal. Because of a pre-malignant condition, the burn triggered cancer and he died.
Issue
Was the employer liable for the death when only a burn was foreseeable?
Held
Yes. A burn was foreseeable, and the took the victim as he found him.
Principle
: once the kind of harm is foreseeable, the defendant is liable for its full extent.
Why it matters
Shows the eggshell rule survives The Wagon Mound.
Cited in these chapters
Cite this page
Smith v Leech Brain & Co Ltd [1962] 2 QB 405 (Lanbuk) <https://www.lanbuk.com/llb/torts/cases/smith-v-leech-brain> 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.