Claimant cleared of dishonesty despite ‘wholly unreliable’ evidence – Law Society’s Gazette

‘A High Court judge has rejected that a claimant suing a hospital was fundamentally dishonest – despite rejecting her evidence – because she believed she was telling the truth.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 17th February 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Harvey Tyrrell death: Electrician cleared over boy’s pub garden electrocution – BBC News

‘An electrician has been cleared of killing a seven-year-old boy who was electrocuted by a set of poorly installed lights in a pub garden.’

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BBC News, 16th February 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

New Judgment: Okpabi & Ors v Royal Dutch Shell Plc & Anor [2021] UKSC 3 – UKSC Blog

‘Royal Dutch Shell Plc (‘RDS’) is the parent company of the Shell group of companies, incorporated in the UK. The Shell Petroleum Company of Nigeria Limited (‘SPDC’, the other Respondent) is an exploration and production company incorporated in Nigeria and is a subsidiary of RDS.’

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UKSC Blog, 12th February 2021

Source: ukscblog.com

Law firm ordered to pay £1m for registration error – Legal Futures

‘The High Court has ordered a defunct Manchester law firm which failed to register a restriction against a house at the Land Registry to pay over £985,000 in damages for professional negligence.’

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Legal Futures, 15th February 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Rachel Johnston: Neglect contributed to woman’s teeth removal death – BBC News

‘A disabled woman whose brain was starved of oxygen after an operation to remove all her teeth would probably have survived if care home staff acted sooner, an inquest heard. Staff at Pirton Grange Care Home, near Worcester, failed to spot Rachel Johnston was developing hypoxia. A coroner concluded neglect contributed to her death just over two weeks after she was taken to hospital.’

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BBC News, 11th February 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Secondary Victim Claims – Clinical Negligence and Proximity – No. 5 Chambers

‘On 5 February 2021, Master Cook handed down judgment in the case of Polmear and another v Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust [2021] EWHC 196 (QB), dismissing the Defendant’s application to strike out the claims and/or for summary judgment. He gave permission to appeal and made an order “leapfrogging” the appeal to the Court of Appeal, pursuant to CPR 53.23.’

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No. 5 Chambers, 8th February 2021

Source: www.no5.com

Personal Injury Newsletter – Exchange Chambers

‘In the February 2021 edition of the personal injury newsletter:

Tactical Management: Taking charge for claimants
As a claimant-only advocate, Bill Braithwaite QC explains exactly why he believes that lawyers who represent severely injured claimants should understand the importance of having complete control over the recovery, rehabilitation and litigation process.

Child’s Play: Gul v Mcdonagh ((2021) Ewhc 97)
Will Waldron QC considers the case of Gul v Mcdonagh ((2021) Ewhc 97), amongst others, in relation to the often tricky question of whether to concede some finding of contributory negligence in a case involving a child.

Second bite of the cherry? Abuse of process post-Poku
In this article, Helen Rutherford covers abuse of process in credit hire cases following Isaac Osei-Wusu Poku v Abedin.

Another Hurdle for Nervous Shock Claims
In Alcock v Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police [1992] 1 AC 310, the House of Lords established 4 hurdles which a secondary victim must overcome in order to establish liability. Although a number of cases have tested the limits of these hurdles, an issue which has never previously been considered is whether a secondary victim must prove that his shock resulted from an appreciation that the primary victim is a loved one who had been or might have been involved in the incident. David Knifton QC considers this issue, with reference to the case of Young v Downey.’

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Exchange Chambers, February 2021

Source: lexlinks.exchangechambers.co.uk

Privilege waived in litigation between law firms – Legal Futures

Posted February 9th, 2021 in enfranchisement, law firms, legal profession, negligence, news, privilege by tracey

‘The High Court has ruled that legal professional privilege was waived by the liquidators of a company when they released a set of documents to a litigant to help her sue her law firm for negligence.’

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Legal Futures, 9th February 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Government undertaking “intensive” review of clinical negligence compensation – Litigation Futures

Posted February 4th, 2021 in compensation, consultations, hospitals, negligence, news, personal injuries by sally

‘The government is undertaking “intensive” work on reshaping the system of compensation for victims of clinical negligence, health minister Nadine Dorries revealed yesterday.’

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Litigation Futures, 3rd February 2021

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

“Wrongful Life” Revisited – UK Human Rights Blog

‘In Evie Toombes v. Dr. Philip Mitchell [2020] EWHC 3506 the High Court has given renewed consideration to claims for, so called, “wrongful life”. Can a disabled person ever claim damages on the basis that they would not have been born but for the defendant’s negligence? The Court answered that question with a resounding “yes”.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 21st January 2021

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Limitation Practice in Clinical Negligence Cases After Azam – Ropewalk Chambers

Posted January 22nd, 2021 in appeals, chambers articles, delay, doctors, limitations, medical treatment, negligence, news by sally

‘Clinical negligence cases can be complex enough without the added difficulty of delay in bringing proceedings resulting in a limitation defence. When it is raised by Defendants it is currently common for cases to be managed so that limitation will be tried as a preliminary issue, perhaps because of the possibility of a major costs saving if a full trial can be avoided.’

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Ropewalk Chambers, 18th January 2021

Source: www.ropewalk.co.uk

Trying to shoot the messenger – Nearly Legal

Posted January 19th, 2021 in abuse of process, barristers, costs, negligence, news, nuisance, repairs, striking out by sally

‘The name of Moorjani may be familiar. We first encountered Mr Moorjani in a judgment transforming the case law on loss of amenity damages in disrepair claims in the Court of Appeal. However, despite the transformation of the law, and the successful appeal, it turns out that for Mr Moorjani that litigation, and indeed his subsequent claim, were actually quite disastrous. We now know this because Mr Moorjani brought a claim against his direct access barrister who acted for him at the county court trial of the original claim. This is the judgment on the defendant’s strike out application in that claim.’

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Nearly Legal, 17th January 2021

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Professional liability update: 2020 year in review – 4 New Square

‘In this review of the year, Helen Evans, Ben Smiley, Pippa Manby, and Ian McDonald of 4 New Square explain what the 2020 cases tell us, how the various strands of development interact, and what to watch out for as we go into 2021.’

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4 New Square, 5th January 2021

Source: www.4newsquare.com

Court denies relief for costs default during first lockdown – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted January 5th, 2021 in coronavirus, costs, law firms, negligence, news, personal injuries, time limits by sally

‘A litigant in a personal injury claim has been penalised for not contesting a costs bill within the allotted time, despite his representatives pleading that their work was affected by the first lockdown.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 5th January 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Council wins appeal over finding of negligence over personal injuries suffered by teaching assistant – Local Government Lawyer

‘A county council has won an appeal over a ruling that it was liable in negligence for personal injuries suffered by a teaching assistant.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 4th January 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Claimants in breast implant case buy cause of action to sue defendant’s lawyers – Litigation Futures

‘A leading defendant law firm and a QC have failed to strike out a professional negligence action brought after the claimants in a case they defended acquired their insolvent client’s cause of action.’

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Litigation Futures, 16th December 2020

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Highgate mental health unit death: Killer detained indefinitely – BBC News

Posted December 4th, 2020 in detention, homicide, mental health, negligence, news, sentencing by sally

‘A man who beat, strangled and set alight a fellow patient at a secure mental health unit in north London has been detained for an unlimited time.’

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BBC News, 3rd December 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Bolton v Stone Revisited – Ropewalk Chambers

‘The seminal case of Bolton v Stone [1951] AC 850 concerned a Claimant on a residential side road who was hit by a ball struck by a batsman on an adjacent cricket ground. The claim ultimately failed. Some 67 years later, the Claimant in Lewis v Wandsworth London Borough Council was walking along the boundary path of a cricket pitch in Battersea Park. She was struck in her left eye by a cricket ball, hit from the game of cricket being played on the pitch. Her claim succeeded before Mr Recorder Riza QC, who distinguished Bolton. Stewart J allowed the Defendant’s appeal and dismissed the claim.’

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Ropewalk Chambers, 30th November 2020

Source: www.ropewalk.co.uk

East Yorkshire hospital trust pays millions over child’s brain damage – BBC News

‘A child who suffered brain damage after a catastrophic fall in blood sugar levels within days of his birth is to get millions of pounds in compensation.’

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BBC News, 3rd December 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

High Court refuses to strike out solicitor’s surveillance harassment claim – Legal Futures

‘The High Court has refused to strike out claims of harassment brought by a solicitor and his wife over surveillance of them carried out at the instruction of a former client.’

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Legal Futures, 30th November 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk