Question:medium

Principle : An employer is liable for an injury caused to an employee in the course of the employment.
Facts : ‘A‘ and ’B‘ were working in a factory as unskilled laborers. A was carrying a basket of stones on his head. B was sitting on the ground. When A crossed B, all of a sudden a stone fell down from the basket and hit B on his head. B died instantaneously.
This question consists of legal principle(s) (hereinafter referred to as ‘principle‘) and facts. Such proposition may or may not be true in the real and legal sense, yet you have to conclusively assume them to be true for the purposes of this section. Principles have to be applied to the given facts to arrive at the most reasonable conclusion. Only one of the alternatives, i.e., (A), (B), (C), or (D) is the most reasonable conclusion. In other words, in answering the following questions, you must not rely on any principle except the principles that are given herein below for every question. Further you must not assume any facts other than those stated in the question. The objective of this section is to test your ability in legal aptitude, study of law, research aptitude and problem solving ability even if the ’most reasonable conclusion‘ arrived at may be absurd or unacceptable for any other reason.

Updated On: Jul 15, 2026
  • The employer will be liable
  • The employer will not be liable
  • A will be liable
  • Both employer and A will be liable
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The Correct Option is A

Approach Solution - 1

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
We need to work out who is liable for B's death, caused by a stone falling from a co-worker's basket during work.

Step 2: Key Formula or Approach:
Apply the principle that an employer is liable for an injury to an employee occurring in the course of employment, and check whether these facts fit that description.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
B was working as a laborer in the factory when he died, struck by a stone dropped by A, also a laborer at the same factory, while A was carrying out his own work. The injury happened while both men were doing their jobs, which is exactly what in the course of employment means. The principle attaches liability for this kind of injury to the employer, not to A individually.

Step 4: Final Answer:
Since B's injury happened in the course of employment, the employer will be liable.
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Approach Solution -2

Work through this by eliminating the option that denies the obvious fit with the principle, then the two that misplace liability on the coworker, before settling on what remains.

  1. The employer will not be liable: Eliminate this first, B was plainly an employee injured in the course of employment, so denying liability altogether does not fit the facts.
  2. A will be liable: Eliminate this next, the principle's rule is worded around the employer, it does not mention personal liability for the coworker whose act caused the injury.
  3. Both employer and A will be liable: Eliminate this too, for the same reason, nothing in the stated principle extends liability to A alongside the employer.
  4. The employer will be liable: Once the other three are eliminated, this is what remains, and it matches the principle directly, since B was an employee injured in the course of employment.

Eliminating the options that either deny liability or misplace it on the coworker leaves the employer as the party the principle actually holds liable.

Therefore, the correct answer is The employer will be liable.

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