Ruled
Parents not liable if kids vomit in cab, says German court
Parents should not be forced to foot the bill for cleaning costs if their child suddenly throws up in a taxi, a German court has ruled.
The district court in Munich was ruling on the case of a couple whose nine-year-old daughter who vomited in the back seat of a taxi after they asked the driver to stop because the girl was unwell.
The driver demanded €190 ($273) for cleaning as well as €800 to rent a replacement cab.
The presiding judge urged the parties to settle the case amicably, according to a press statement, saying it would be "sensible" for the parents to pay for the cab to be cleaned.
However, the parents of the nine-year-old refused.
The judge ruled that there is no "absolute liability" for children.
"If a child is sick in a taxi and therefore soils it, the parents are only liable if they knew their child was nauseous and still did nothing to prevent the damage," the court ruled.
(Published by Herald Sun – July 12, 2010)