De Valence v Langley Fox Building Partnership (Pty) Ltd is an important case in South African law, heard by the Witwatersrand Local Division. On 13 August 1982, the respondent, Mrs Patricia Poupinel de Valence, was a successful audiometrician. She conducted a private practice in partnership with a Mr Carter. On that day she was walking on a sidewalk outside Hunt's Corner, a building situate in the central business district of Johannesburg. A wooden beam had been suspended between two trestles at right-angles across the sidewalk. The respondent struck the left side of her forehead against the beam. At first the injury caused thereby was thought to have been minor. However, it had the most serious and unfortunate consequences for the respondent.