{"id":5351,"date":"2018-03-07T09:26:58","date_gmt":"2018-03-07T09:26:58","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2019-07-16T14:20:49","modified_gmt":"2019-07-16T14:20:49","slug":"morales-v-eccleston","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lawteacher.net\/cases\/morales-v-eccleston.php","title":{"rendered":"Morales v Eccleston"},"content":{"rendered":"

Morales v Eccleston<\/strong><\/p>\n

[1991] RTR 151<\/strong><\/p>\n

NEGLIGENCE, CONTRIBUTORY NEGLIGENCE, ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENT, CHILDREN, LACK OF REASONABLE CARE FOR ONE\u2019S OWN SAFETY, BLAME<\/strong><\/p>\n

Facts<\/h3>\n

The defendant, Eccleston, was driving at 20 mph along in a traffic stream along a road that was 30 feet wide. The plaintiff, Morales, who as an 11-year-old boy, followed a football out into the road, without looking at either direction. Morales crossed over the centre of the road and into Eccleston\u2019s carriageway, walking sideways. As a result, Eccleston hit him. The defendant admitted that he had not seen the plaintiff until the collision occurred. At the time of the accident, the weather was fine, the road was dry and the visibility was good. The trial judge held that because Ecclestone did not have a proper lookout, he was 80 per cent to blame for the accident. The defendant appealed against this decision to the Court of Appeal.<\/p>\n

Issues<\/h3>\n

Does the defendant\u2019s failure to see the plaintiff crossing a road amount to negligence?<\/p>\n

Decision\/Outcome<\/h3>\n

The appeal was allowed.<\/p>\n

(1) Whilst there was some material showing that if the driver had had a proper lookout, he would have seen the plaintiff, the trial judge\u2019s conclusion on the appointment of blame was incorrect.<\/p>\n

(2) The plaintiff\u2019s negligence is plain as when a stream of traffic was approaching, he went into a road trying to recover a ball without looking, which demonstrates his reckless and disregard of his own safety.<\/p>\n

(3) Therefore, the plaintiff\u2019s contributory negligence is 75 per cent of the blame for the accident.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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