September 30, 2025
Mirvahedy v Henley [2003] UKHL 16
A horse, startled by an unknown cause, bolted from its field onto a road and collided with the claimant's car, causing injury. The House of Lords held the keepers strictly liable under the Animals Act 1971, establishing a wide interpretation of liability. Facts The appellants, Mr and Mrs Henley, were keepers of several horses in a field adjacent to a main road. The field was secured by fencing and an electric fence. For an unknown reason, one of the horses, described as normally quiet and placid, was startled. Along with two other horses, it panicked, broke through the fencing, and
