Court of Appeal backs claimant solicitors in “£400 club” case – Litigation Futures

‘Solicitors who received the £400 stage 1 fixed-costs payment due under the original version of the RTA protocol do not have to repay the money even though no action was then taken on their cases, the Court of Appeal has ruled.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 16th May 2017

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Court of Appeal determines approach for deciding loss where litigation solicitors miss second claim – OUT-LAW.com

‘Where solicitors have negligently failed to advise a client to pursue a particular claim, they will be deemed to have caused loss if their client can show that it would have brought the claim if so advised, and that it would have had a real prospect of success, the Court of Appeal has said.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 16th May 2017

Source: www.out-law.com

What’s in a name? Appeal judges reject pleas of claimant who sued wrong firm – Legal Futures

‘Appeal judges have rejected the pleas of a claimant who, faced by two law firms with similar names set up by the same solicitor, sued the wrong one.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 16th May 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

A new understanding of ‘professionalism’ – Legal Voice

‘Many lawyers are in denial about the toll traumatic cases can take on them and their work. Time to drop the stiff upper lip, says Lee Moore.’

Full story

Legal Voice, 11th May 2017

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Fixed-cost plans for clinical negligence “will prevent many cases being brought”, CJC warns – Litigation Futures

‘Government plans to impose fixed costs on clinical negligence cases worth up to £25,000 “will prevent many cases being brought”, the Civil Justice Council (CJC) has warned.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 11th May 2017

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

The addition of parties after limitation has expired – Zenith PI

Posted May 9th, 2017 in appeals, law firms, limitations, negligence, news, personal injuries by sally

‘Godfrey Morgan Solicitors (A Firm) v Michael Arms [2017] EWCA Civ 323. The Appellant firm of solicitors appealed against the decision of a first instance appeal which determined that it had been properly added as a Defendant to a claim for professional negligence despite the prior expiry of the relevant limitation period.’

Full story

Zenith PI, 8th May 2017

Source: www.zenithpi.wordpress.com

Duties of care owed by hospital receptionists: Darnley v Croydon Health Services NHS Trust [2017] EWCA Civ 151 – Zenith PI

‘Mr Darnley, the Claimant, was assaulted. He received a head injury. His friend drove him to a nearby A & E department. The hospital in question operated a commonly used system; a “civilian” (i.e., non-clinically qualified) receptionist would take the patient’s basic details. The patient would then be assessed within 30 minutes by a triage nurse, who would decide on the best course of action. Urgent cases would be prioritised.’

Full story

Zenith PI, 9th May 2017

Source: www.zenithpi.wordpress.com

High Court upholds decision to disapply QOCS in ‘mixed’ claim – Litigation Futures

Posted May 9th, 2017 in civil procedure rules, costs, news, personal injuries by sally

‘The High Court has upheld a ruling that disapplied qualified one-way costs-shifting (QOCS) under the little-used exception relating to “mixed” claims, and in what is said to be the first case of its type, where the personal injury (PI) element was found to be a relatively minor part of the wider claim.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 9th May 2017

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

APIL pushes for “predictable claim process” for fixed cost clinical negligence cases – Litigation Futures

Posted May 3rd, 2017 in costs, government departments, negligence, news, personal injuries by sally

‘The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) has called for a “predictable claim process” for clinical negligence actions if the government goes ahead with its plan to impose fixed costs for cases worth up to £25,000.’

Full story

Litigation futures, 2nd May 2017

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Prisons and Courts Bill scrapped – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted April 21st, 2017 in bills, news, parliament, personal injuries, prisons by sally

‘Legislation that would radically change the personal injury market and overhaul the courts has been dropped in the runup to the general election.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 20th April 2017

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Compensation following fatal stabbing: Human rights and the CICA: “Double Recovery” not allowed – Zenith PI Blog

‘The decision of the Upper Tribunal in VG -v- CICA [2017] UKUT 0049 (AAC) is important reading for anyone involved in advising in fatal claims. In essence a High Court action was rendered valueless because the damages awarded were offset by the CICA. It shows the need to think long and hard before issuing civil proceedings when there may be an easier (and cheaper) alternative of an application under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.’

Full story

Zenith PI Blog, 19th April 2017

Source: www.zenithpi.wordpress.com

School compensation payouts include blindfold mishap and whiteboard accident – BBC News

‘Pupil mishaps including a blindfolded child running into a goalpost and pupil hit by a cricket ball have cost schools £7m in three years, it has emerged. Figures obtained by the BBC reveal an apparent doubling in school payouts from £1.65m in 2014 to £3.45m in 2016.’

Full story

BBC News, 7th April 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Shaken Baby Syndrome – Six Pump Court

‘This note is intended to set out how medical opinion in relation to and the Court’s approach to “shaken baby syndrome” have developed.’

Full story

Six Pump Court, 22nd March 2017

Source: www.6pumpcourt.co.uk

Cloisters column: Reforming the Soft Tissue Injury (whiplash) Claims Process – Government consultation and reform in the ‘post-truth’ age? – Cloisters

Posted April 6th, 2017 in compensation, consultations, news, personal injuries, small claims by sally

‘In the 2015 autumn statement the then Chancellor announced proposals for whiplash claims and an increase to the small claims limit in personal injury actions. The Government has now published its Consultation response.’

Full story

Cloisters, 30th March 2017

Source: www.cloisters.com

Former top judge sounds alarm over “flawed and rushed” discount rate consultation – Litigation Futures

Posted April 6th, 2017 in consultations, damages, judges, news, personal injuries by sally

‘A former senior judge has expressed alarm at the way the government is rushing to “neutralise” the impact of the Lord Chancellor’s decision to cut the discount rate to -0.75%, based on what he says is a flawed consultation and without considering the effect on injured people.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 6th April 2017

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Law firms to be banned from touting for business in hospitals – Daily Telegraph

Posted April 3rd, 2017 in costs, hospitals, law firms, negligence, news, personal injuries by sally

‘Law firms will no longer be able to tout for business inside hospitals under plans unveiled by the NHS.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 31st March 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Julian Cole nightclub incident: Police officers face no criminal charges – BBC News

‘Five police officers will not face criminal charges over the way they dealt with a man who broke his neck outside a nightclub, the BBC has been told.’

Full story

BBC News, 29th March 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Lord Chancellor announces changes to personal injury compensation payments – Litigation Futures

Posted March 24th, 2017 in compensation, news, personal injuries by sally

‘On 27th February, Elizabeth Truss announced her decision to lower the Discount Rate from 2.5% to minus 0.75% in accordance with the law and in her capacity as independent Lord Chancellor.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 23rd March 2017

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Master validates party’s defective delivery of part 36 withdrawal because of new discount rate – Litigation Futures

Posted March 24th, 2017 in news, part 36 offers, personal injuries, service by sally

‘A High Court master has allowed a party’s bid to withdraw a part 36 offer ahead of the new discount rate coming into force on Monday, even though they used a defective method to deliver it.

Full story

Litigation Futures, 23rd March 2017

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Special Damages for Physiotherapy Costs: Rates Limited to the Charges of the Physiotherapist Offered by the Defendant’s Insurers – Zenith PI Blog

Posted March 23rd, 2017 in costs, damages, insurance, news, personal injuries, physiotherapists, rehabilitation by sally

‘On 22.3.17 I represented the Defendant’s insurers at a Stage 3 road traffic accident assessment of damages hearing before Deputy District Judge Lingard in the Leeds County Court, at which the rates of charge recoverable for physiotherapy treatment received by the Claimant were limited to the rates charged by the physiotherapist whose treatment was offered by the Defendant’s insurers.’

Full story

Zenith PI Blog, 22nd March 2017

Source: www.zenithpi.wordpress.com