In Brief
On 1 January 2015, a car driven by the Appellant's 20-year-old son collided with a gas tanker on a highway, killing the driver and five passengers. A police investigation initially found the son at fault; a further investigation concluded it was an unavoidable accident. The High Court quashed the second report, finding the son's driving rash and negligent. The Supreme Court allowed the appeal, holding the High Court improperly made findings on negligence when reviewing a police report. The Court clarified that claim petitions for compensation before the Motor Accident Tribunal require claimants to independently prove negligence on the balance of probabilities, not relying on police findings or criminal standards of proof.
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