Road traffic accident CASES

October 5, 2025

National Case Law Archive

Law books on a desk

Turnbull v Warrener [2012] EWCA Civ 412

A tractor driver turned right and was hit by a speeding motorcyclist who died. The trial judge found the tractor driver 100% liable. The Court of Appeal reversed this, finding the motorcyclist 80% contributorily negligent due to his excessive speed. Facts Ms Turnbull, the defendant, was driving a tractor and trailer. She intended to turn right from a minor road, cross the B1249 main road, and enter a field gateway directly opposite. The B1249 had a 60 mph speed limit. Before commencing the turn, she saw the headlight of a motorcycle, which she estimated to be about 400 metres away,

September 24, 2025

National Case Law Archive

Law books in a law library

Jackson v Murray [2015] UKSC 5 (18 February 2015)

A 13-year-old girl was struck by a car after alighting from a school bus. The Supreme Court re-evaluated the apportionment of blame, reducing her contributory negligence from an initial 70% to 50%, emphasising the high standard of care required of drivers. Facts In January 2004, the appellant (then pursuer), Sabre Jackson, a 13-year-old girl, was seriously injured in a road traffic accident. She had just alighted from a school minibus on a country road in rural Aberdeenshire. The road had a 60 mph speed limit. It was winter, and dusk was approaching, but visibility was still good. After the minibus