The 1943 Glasgow Corporation v. Muir case presents a timeless lesson that good deeds are not always punished. In this case, a tea shop owner allowed a group of people into her tea room to escape bad weather. When two members of the party crossed the tea room, an urn of boiling tea spilled onto small children causing serious injuries. The court was asked to decide whether the tea shop owner was liable for the children’s injuries. The court, in applying the “reasonable man” standard, determined the owner could not have reasonably foreseen that allowing individuals to enter her shop would have caused the injuries sustained by the children.
LegalTEAS Lesson: Whether a person enters your shop as guest or escapee from a storm, ensure that all safety precautions are observed. If an individual begins to exhibit erratic or unsafe behavior on your premises, it is your responsibility to eliminate the risk. Your good deed, of protecting your guests and your establishment, should be rewarded by the court.
