September 24, 2025
Grant v Australian Knitting Mills [1935] UKPC 2 (21 October 1935)
Dr Grant suffered severe dermatitis from a chemical irritant in woollen underpants, a latent manufacturing defect. He successfully sued the retailer in contract and the manufacturer in negligence, significantly widening the 'neighbour principle' from Donoghue v Stevenson to include general consumer products. Facts The appellant, Dr Grant, purchased two pairs of woollen underpants manufactured by the first respondent, Australian Knitting Mills Ltd (AKM), from a retailer, the second respondent, John Martin & Co Ltd. After wearing the underpants for a week without washing them first, he developed an acute and severe case of dermatitis. Medical evidence established that the dermatitis
