Local Authorities

Not every accident has to be the fault of another


An appeal has successfully challenged the notion that local authorities or occupiers of land should be responsible as well as financially liable for individuals injured whilst lawfully visiting their premises, irrespective of the actual cause. The decision was welcomed by Zurich Municipal.The unanimous Court of Appeal judgment in Edwards v London Borough of Sutton [2016] EWCA Civ 1005 related to a 2010 accident in which Mr Edwards suffered serious injuries sustained in a fall from a small ornamental arched bridge in a public park in Sutton, South London. The precise cause of Mr Edwards’ fall was never ascertained and the bridge had existed for decades, without reported accident.