Families win BBC payouts over 11 asbestos cancer deaths – The Guardian

‘The BBC has paid £1.64m in damages over the deaths of 11 former staff who died from cancer after working in corporation buildings riddled with asbestos, the Observer can reveal.’

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The Guardian, 30th January 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

Ex-Fat Duck pastry chef sues for £200k over RSI claims – The Guardian

Posted December 14th, 2021 in industrial injuries, news, personal injuries by tracey

‘A former pastry chef at Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck restaurant has claimed she was left with crippling repetitive strain injury from placing sweets into bags using tweezers and hand-making chocolate playing cards and about 550 whisky wine gums a day, court documents show.’

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The Guardian, 13th December 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

BBC presenter hurt while playing role of ‘crash test dummy’ awarded £1.6m damages – The Independent

‘A television presenter has been awarded £1.6m in damages after he suffered brain and spine injuries while acting as a “crash test dummy” in a science programme. Jeremy Stansfield won a High Court battle with the BBC on Friday, with Dame Justice Amanda Yip ruling that the injuries he received in 2013 had derailed his “successful career in television” and restricted his enjoyment of life.’

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The Independent, 2nd October 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

BBC sued for set builder’s death in claim over asbestos – The Guardian

Posted September 20th, 2021 in asbestos, BBC, bereavement, cancer, damages, families, health & safety, industrial injuries, news by tracey

‘The BBC is being sued over the death of a set builder who contracted asbestos-related cancer while working on high-profile dramas including Doctor Who. Richard Evans’s widow, Valerie, is seeking damages from the corporation after it admitted in the high court that it had exposed him to asbestos during his 23 years making and painting sets.’

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The Guardian, 19th September 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Top judges doubt whether costs budgeting works, master reveals – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted July 1st, 2021 in asbestos, budgets, costs, industrial injuries, news by sally

‘A number of judges are sceptical about the wider merits of costs budgeting, a costs judge has claimed in a new judgment.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 29th June 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

“Lost years claims”: a rare re-opening following determination on damages – 3PB

‘This was a Court of Appeal decision following a hearing in December 2020. The parties to the Claim were the estate of the late Appellant, Michael Head and his former employer the Culver Heating Company Limited as Respondent.’

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3PB, 2nd March 2021

Source: www.3pb.co.uk

Latest Instalment in Insurers’ Challenge to CRU Provisions – Ropewalk Chambers

‘In R (on the application of (1) Aviva Insurance Ltd (2) Swiss Reinsurance Company Ltd) v The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2021] EWHC 30 (Admin), Henshaw J dealt with certain consequential matters arising from his earlier judgment dated 20 November 2020 which arose from the Claimants’ challenge to the onerous consequences of the Compensation Recovery Unit scheme, particularly in cases involving long-tail asbestos-related diseases.’

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Ropewalk Chambers, 18th January 2021

Source: www.ropewalk.co.uk

Social landlord fined £80k after employees suffer Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome – Local Government Lawyer

Posted December 21st, 2020 in employment, fines, health & safety, housing, industrial injuries, local government, news by sally

‘A housing association was earlier this month fined £80,00 after four employees developed a debilitating nerve condition over a period of several years.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 21st December 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Birmingham wall collapse deaths: Recycling firms to be charged – BBC News

‘Two recycling companies and two people linked to them are to be charged over the deaths of five African men who died when a concrete wall fell on them.’

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BBC News, 1st December 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Successful insurers’ A1P1 claim concerning benefits reimbursement in asbestos claims – UK Human Rights Blog

‘R (o.t.a of Aviva & Swiss Re) v. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2020] EWHC 3118 (Admin). At first sight, a rather abstruse dispute, but the 63 page judgment of Henshaw J gives rise to a host of important and difficult human rights points. But his central conclusion is that a statute which was not challengeable at the time of its enactment became so, because of the subsequent evolution of the law, principally common law, to the detriment of insurers.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 25th November 2020

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Inquest rules heading heavy leather balls ‘a factor’ in death of Alan Jarvis – The Guardian

Posted October 16th, 2020 in employment, industrial injuries, inquests, news, psychiatric damage, sport by sally

‘A former Wales international footballer who developed dementia had died after heading heavy leather balls during his career, an inquest heard on Thursday.’

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The Guardian, 15th October 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Cape v Dring: High Court clarifies the proper approach to applications by non-parties for access to documents referred to at trial under the inherent jurisdiction and open justice principle – Henderson Chambers

‘The Cape v Dring litigation concerns an attempt by a non-party to obtain copies of the trial bundle used during a six-week asbestos trial involving Cape which settled before judgment in early 2017. At first instance the Master granted the non-party permission to have copies of all documents, including the trial bundle of 5000 pages of disclosure, referred to at the trial. The Supreme Court confirmed in July 2019 that the non-party was entitled to written submissions, witness statements and expert reports under the inherent jurisdiction of the court, but remitted the question of what, if any, documents in the trial bundle the non-party should obtain to the original trial judge. On 16 July 2020 Picken J considered that question and held that Mr Dring was not entitled to receive any other documents.’

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Henderson Chambers, 17th July 2020

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Duty of care owed by UK ship agent to Bangladeshi worker? – UK Human Rights Blog

‘On 30 March 2018, whilst working on the demolition of an oil tanker on the beach at Chittagong, Bangladesh, Mr Mollah fell to his death.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 17th July 2020

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Case Preview: Equitas Insurance Ltd v Municipal Mutual Insurance Ltd – UKSC Blog

Posted July 7th, 2020 in cancer, employment, industrial injuries, insurance, news, Supreme Court by sally

‘In this case preview, Neil Beighton, Simon Kilgour, Diane Jerry and Sarah Day, who all work within the CMS Insurance and Reinsurance Group, discuss the appeal due to be heard this week by the UK Supreme Court in this matter of Equitas Insurance Ltd v Municipal Mutual Insurance Ltd.’

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UKSC Blog, 6th July 2020

Source: ukscblog.com

Restoring companies to the register: article exploring issues arising in mesothelioma litigation and the conflict between the Compensation Act 2006 and 2010 – Parklane Plowden Chambers

‘This article intends to investigate probably well-rehearsed principles implied in bringing actions for personal injury against long-since defunct and even dissolved companies.’

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Parklane Plowden Chambers, 10th June 2020

Source: www.parklaneplowden.co.uk

Appeal allowed against Strike out of Secondary Victim claims arising out of Clinical Negligence – St John’s Chambers

‘In November 2019 Master Cook had struck out the secondary victim claims brought by the Claimants as a result of witnessing the heart attack and subsequent death of their father some 14 ½ months after the alleged negligent omission of the Defendant Trust. This was on the basis that the claims were bound to fail on a strict application of binding authorities including Taylor -v- A. Novo [2014] QB 150 because the shocking event in question was not proximate in time to the breach of duty. In Taylor v A. Novo the Court of Appeal had dismissed a secondary victim claim where the claimant’s mother had been injured by a falling stack of boards due to the negligence of a colleague at work and had subsequently collapsed and died at home as result of deep vein thrombosis secondary to the accident. The claimant witnessed her mother collapsing at home but not the accident itself. Her claim failed on proximity because the death of the claimant’s mother was not the relevant shocking “event”, which was the accident itself, and so the control mechanisms were not satisfied.’

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St John's Chambers, 4th June 2020

Source: www.stjohnschambers.co.uk

Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) – an Introduction, by Jim Hester – Parklane Plowden Chambers

Posted June 4th, 2020 in industrial injuries, news, noise, personal injuries by sally

‘Even those who are experienced in personal injury cases in general can sometimes find industrial diseases cases difficult to get to grips with. Noise induced hearing loss cases can fall into this category. Such cases sometimes appear littered with seemingly impenetrable, highly technical arguments.’

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Parklane Plowden Chambers, 19th May 2020

Source: www.parklaneplowden.co.uk

Assessing ‘Likelihood of Harm’ under the Health and Safety Offences, Corporate Manslaughter and Food Safety and Hygiene Offences – Definitive Guideline – Henderson Chambers

‘A summary of relevant factors and considerations drawn from the leading cases of recent years.’

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Henderson Chambers, 11th May 2020

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Covid-19 deaths and Inquests – Doughty Street Chambers

‘An Inquest is not a foregone conclusion, since death by prevalent disease will not necessarily be considered “unnatural”. There is new guidance issued today (28 April 2020) by the Chief Coroner as to the circumstances in which in Inquest will be appropriate.’

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Doughty Street Chambers, 28th April 2020

Source: insights.doughtystreet.co.uk

Judge sounds warning about ‘lazy’ solicitors over years of inactivity – Law Society’s Gazette

‘A High Court judge has narrowly allowed a case to survive despite a wait of almost three years following the identification of a party. Solicitors for the claimant in Gregory v H J Haynes had applied for the limitation period to be extended after a fruitless search for the defendant’s insurer had taken them past the initial three-year limitation date.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 28th April 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk