LANDMARK CASE

Rylands v. Fletcher

(1868) LR 3 HL 330 · House of Lords (UK) · Torts

At a glance

Citation: (1868) LR 3 HL 330
Court: House of Lords (UK)
Area of law: Torts
In one line: Yes. Strict liability applies to non natural use of land when dangerous things escape, subject to exceptions.

1 Facts

Water from the defendant's reservoir flooded the plaintiff's mines through old shafts.

2 Issue

Is a person liable for escape of dangerous things without negligence?

3 What the court decided

Yes. Strict liability applies to non natural use of land when dangerous things escape, subject to exceptions.

4 Why it matters

India went further with absolute liability in M.C. Mehta.

5 Think about it

What exceptions apply to strict liability?

6 Analyse it yourself

Read the full judgment from an official source or a law database, then brief it in seven steps: facts, issues, arguments, decision, ratio, obiter and significance. Always check the citation before you rely on it.

7 More cases on Torts

Ashby v. White (1703) 2 Ld Raym 938
Caparo Industries v. Dickman [1990] 2 AC 605
Charan Lal Sahu v. Union of India (1990) 1 SCC 613
Donoghue v. Stevenson [1932] AC 562
Gloucester Grammar School Case (1410) YB 11 Hen IV
Hedley Byrne and Co. v. Heller and Partners [1964] AC 465

All 366 landmark cases · Today's Case of the Day · Weekly quiz

← Rustom Cavasjee Cooper v. Union of India S. Rangarajan v. P. Jagjivan Ram →

A short teaching summary for students. Educational content only, not legal advice.