Order Description
Sophie, Anna and her sister Ruth are all pupils at Downcliffe School which is holding a charity bake-off competition. The girls all take part in the bake-off held in the home economics room. Anna spends lunchtime outside, but Sophie and Ruth stay behind to finish their cakes. During lunch a fire breaks out in the home economics room and spreads rapidly. Sophie manages to escape but Ruth’s exit is blocked by falling debris and she suffers burns before being rescued by the fire brigade. Anna is traumatised when she sees the fire and realises her sister is still in the building, and she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. Sophie later suffers from panic attacks and Ruth has difficulty sleeping and becomes depressed.
It is later discovered that the fire was caused by faulty wiring and the electrical contractors who carried out the work accept responsibility for the fire.
Explain the current law on claims for psychiatric injury
evaluate and apply the essential elements of a claim for psychiatric injury.
Question
Explain the legal rules which form the basis of claims in negligence when psychiatric harm has been suffered. You should refer to Units 12, 13 and 15 and associated reading in Steele (2014).
