Scott v. Shepherd
King's Bench
96 Eng. Rep. 525 (K.B. 1773)
Relevant factsFree
Shepherd (defendant) threw a lit gunpowder squib into a crowded marketplace; two successive bystanders, Willis and then Ryal, each fearing for their own and others' safety, picked it up and threw it further across the market, until it finally exploded in Scott's (plaintiff) face and blinded one eye. The jury found for Scott, and Shepherd challenged whether he could be liable given the intervening throws by Willis and Ryal.
IssueFree
Whether a person may be liable for injuries to another resulting from his actions, if the injury itself is actually inflicted by the intervening actions of a third party.