Material Contribution and Covid-19 – 1 QMLR
‘In Rehman, Master Davison considered applications by the Defendants to strike out twenty-three claims arising from deaths in care homes from Covid-19 during the pandemic. The claims were brought under the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1934 and the Fatal Accidents Act 1976. All but one of the Claimants alleged that the Secretary of State’s policy not to mandate 14-day isolation of asymptomatic patients upon discharge from hospital to care homes was negligent. The Claimants also alleged that there was a failure by care homes to ensure sufficient Covid-19 protection measures. On the Claimants’ case, these breaches of duty caused care home residents to contract Covid-19, which led to their deaths [1]. The Defendants sought to strike out the claims under CPR 3.4(2)(a) on the basis that the Claimants had no realistic prospect of success because they could not prove causation [6].’
1 QMLR, 17th September 2026
Source: 1corqmlr.com

