Former Royal Marine seeks £1.5m in damages over hearing loss – BBC News
‘A former Royal Marine is seeking more than £1m in damages from the government over “noise-induced hearing loss”.’
BBC News, 19th January 2023
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Category: damages
‘Special’ damages requiring prior knowledge of parties to construction contracts – OUT-LAW.com
‘When a party breaches a term of a construction contract, the other party to the contract has the right to claim an award of damages.’
OUT-LAW.com, 16th January 2023
Source: www.pinsentmasons.com
Court rejects costs budgeting plea on child’s clin neg claim – Law Society’s Gazette
‘The High Court has rejected a defendant’s plea for a costs management order regarding a child’s clinical negligence case which could still have years to run. Master Cook stated that the policy of children’s cases being exempt from costs management should be adhered to, even if the defendant was unhappy with the costs incurred so far.’
Law Society's Gazette, 13th January 2023
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
A5 Milton Keynes: Flooded road crash victim’s partner agrees pay-out – BBC News
‘The partner of a woman who died in a crash after driving into standing water on a main road has agreed an £850,000 settlement with Highways England, a court heard.’
BBC News, 12th January 2023
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Large award of damages and/or equitable compensation ordered against the perpetrators of a labour supply fraud (Umbrella Care Ltd v Nisa and ors) – Gatehouse Chambers
‘Dispute Resolution analysis: A large award of damages and/or equitable compensation has been made against the directors and connected companies of a company which was used to perpetrate a large scale labour supply fraud against HMRC.’
Gatehouse Chambers, 21st December 2022
Source: gatehouselaw.co.uk
The use and abuse of the Rehabilitation Code in liability disputed cases – Exchange Chambers
‘The benefits of rehabilitation are well known. Numerous academic studies have demonstrated its importance and the net economic benefit (to both society and insurers) from its early introduction and funding. Despite that, many insurers continue to take a hostile and unsupportive attitude driven, perhaps, by a suspicion that a claimant will seek to introduce care, therapies, equipment or accommodation that might somehow increase the value of any eventual claim. I don’t believe that to be the case. In fact, my own experience is strongly that those insurers and defendant solicitors who actively support and fund early rehabilitation (and it is right to highlight that many do), even when liability is disputed, invariably end up achieving an earlier settlement with a costs saving and, on occasions, a saving in damages arising from the better recovery enjoyed by the claimant.’
Exchange Chambers, 22nd December 2022
Source: www.exchangechambers.co.uk
Participation of vulnerable parties in civil litigation: split trials and stays (AXX v. Zajac) – Exchange Chambers
‘AXX (A protected party by his litigation friend XRE) v. Zajac [2022] EWHC 2463 is the first reported case in the High Court (KBD) concerning the ‘new’ CPR Practice Direction 1A which requires the court to take all proportionate measures to address any impediment to a party’s participation in proceedings caused by their ‘vulnerability’. Master McCloud granted an application made on behalf of the Claimant (who was a protected party due to a psychotic condition which had arisen after his accident) for a trial of causation as a preliminary issue on the basis that, if successful at that stage, the Claimant could seek interim funding for treatment to address his psychiatric symptoms and allow him to participate fully in the subsequent quantum trial. The Master also refused an application from the Defendant for an ‘unless’ order (whereby the claim would be stayed unless the Claimant cooperated with examinations to be performed by the Defendant’s instructed medical experts) because of concerns about the Claimant’s capacity to consent to examination. This decision illustrates the important role that PD1A has in shaping case management decisions to protect the interests of parties with vulnerabilities.’
Exchange Chambers, 22nd December 2022
Source: www.exchangechambers.co.uk
Healthcare Enabled Fraud – 3PB
‘Keoghs recently wrote about their triple success in defeating claims for psychological injury arising out of road traffic accidents. The common denominator of the three claims was that each of the Claimants sought to rely upon the medical evidence of a specific Consultant Psychologist. Sharan Sanghera acted for the Defendant in one of those Claims, her comment on the case appears below.’
3PB, 13th December 2022
Source: www.3pb.co.uk
Patient fault and contributory negligence in clinical negligence – Exchange Chambers
‘Professional experience and the reported cases (considered below) suggest issues of breach, causation and contributory negligence are invariably intertwined. The advisor’s role is to carefully unpick the strands. Whilst there is a factual and legal overlap, the issues need to be considered separately on their individual merits.’
Exchange Chambers, 22nd December 2022
Source: www.exchangechambers.co.uk
Two cases about QOCS where the claimant accepted a Part 36 offer late – Hailsham Chambers
‘Two recent decisions on the application of qualified one-way-costs-shifting (“QOCS”), of the High Court in Chappell v Mrozek [2022] EWHC 3147 (KB), and of the Court of Appeal in Harrison v University Hospitals of Derby & Burton NHS Foundation Trust [2022] EWCA Civ 1660, reinforce the difficulty that personal injury and clinical negligence defendants will face in obtaining enforceable costs orders other than where the claimant obtains an order for damages at trial1. Defendants will generally be unable to enforce costs orders where the claim is settled via Part 36, even if an order of the court is required to enforce the settlement, to permit the claimant to accept the offer, or to direct that the amount payable to the claimant is reduced by the amount of any deductible benefits.’
Hailsham Chambers, 3rd January 2023
Source: www.hailshamchambers.com
Government claims more than £130 million after suing pandemic gown supplier – The Independent
‘Lawyers say the Government is claiming more than £130 million after suing a firm at the centre of a row over the supply of personal protective equipment during the coronavirus pandemic.’
The Independent, 5th January 2023
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Court allows costs challenge by client ‘not informed’ about options – Law Society’s Gazette
‘The High Court has ruled that a costs bill can be challenged after the one-year time limit for requesting detailed assessment. In Menzies v Oakwood Solicitors, Mr Justice Bourne said Leeds firm Oakwood Solicitors had not made clear to a former client the procedure for objecting to the deduction of costs from his damages. Payment was therefore not effected by a settlement of account and a challenge could still be made.’
Law Society's Gazette, 16th December 2022
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
High court rejects costs setoff in QOCS claim – Law Society’s Gazette
‘The High Court rejected a defendant’s bid to escape the full rigour of the qualified one-way costs shifting (QOCS) regime in a ruling handed down this week.’
Law Society's Gazette, 15th December 2022
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
Ombudsman’s decisions and housing conditions claims – Nearly Legal
‘Plunkett v Clarion HA. County Court at Central London. Ms Plunkett was an assured tenant of Clarion, on the Eastfields Estate. She began a claim for disrepair and unfitness for human habitation while in temporary accommodation in a hotel. The defects complained of were primarily leaks to the interior of the flat and outside the front door causing interior damp, significant mould growth, leaks from above, non-functioning ventilation to kitchen and bathroom, and infestation of mice, for periods of two to four years. The existing issues and unfitness for human habitation were confirmed in an independent expert report. Clarion had refused to agree a single joint expert.’
Nearly Legal, 13th December 2022
Source: nearlylegal.co.uk
Don’t double compensate for the same claim, defendants tell CoA – Law Society’s Gazette
‘Defendant lawyers have urged the Court of Appeal not to risk double compensation for injuries caused by the same accident.’
Law Society’s Gazette, 1st December 2022
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
MoJ: Number of unrepresented claimants is not measure of OIC success – Legal Futures
‘The fact that fewer than 10% of claimants use the Official Injury Claim (OIC) portal without legal representation does not mean the system has failed to deliver, the government said yesterday.’
Legal Futures, 30th November 2022
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
When is it appropriate to use Part 8 in adjudication enforcement? – Practical Law: Construction Blog
‘The case of Breakshore Ltd v Red Key Concepts Ltd, as heard in the TCC earlier this year, reconfirms the court’s position in respect of when it is appropriate to use Part 8 claims to resist adjudication enforcement hearings.’
Practical Law: Construction Blog, 11th November 2022
Clangers: LPAs and duties of care – Local Government Lawyer
‘Does a local planning authority owe a duty of care to an applicant for planning permission? Simon Ricketts analyses a recent High Court ruling.’
Local Government Lawyer, 11th November 2022
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Twitter libel ruling vindicates TV presenter – Law Society’s Gazette
‘The Court of Appeal’s judgment was handed down in August 2022 in Laura Murray’s appeal against the ruling of Mr Justice Nicklin in Rachel Riley’s (pictured above) libel claim. The appeal was unanimously dismissed by the Court of Appeal, with £10,000 falling due to Riley.’
Law Society's Gazette, 28th October 2022
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
Mother wins £60,000 over Morrisons discrimination – BBC News
‘Morrisons has been told to pay a mother £60,000 for discriminating against her when she returned from maternity leave.’
BBC News, 31st October 2022
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
