Lamb v Camden LBC
[1981] 2 All ER 408
Court of Appeal

The defendant council negligently fractured a water pipe outside the claimant's house. This caused extensive damage and the property had to be vacated. One year later the council had not undertaken the repairs. Squatters had also moved in and caused further damage. The claimant arranged for repairs to be done herself and submitted a bill to the council for the repairs and damage caused by the squatters.

Held:

The local authority was not liable for the acts of the squatters. It was not foreseeable that squatters would move into an empty house in Camden and cause damage despite the prevalence of such behaviour in Camden at the time.

Back to lecture outline on causation in tort law