Blogs Archive

Travel back seven decades: the Law Reform (Contributory Negligence) Act 1945 was given Royal Assent on 15 June 1945; three years later, on 5 July 1948, the NHS was founded. At the level of principle, the statute effected a radical change in the law by abolishing the position at common law by which any negligence…

In the context of clinical negligence cases, causation can be just as tricky to establish as breach, perhaps even more so. The difficulties arise in part because many of these cases involve Claimants who were injured or ill before seeking the treatment or advice that they ultimately complain of, and they remain ill or injured…

In this article, Kam Jaspal provides an update on asbestos litigation in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic and summarises recent developments in the area, from asbestos in schools to low exposure claims and limitation. Asbestos Lists in the RCJ The Masters Corridor of the RCJ has continued to be busy, virtually, despite the COVID-19…

Jack McCracken and Sarah Hopkinson have published a series of five articles addressing possible liabilities on the part of employers for outbreaks of COVID-19 amongst their workforce. Please click here to access all five articles, or click on the link for a specific article below. Introduction. Liability at Common Law. Liability for Breach of Statutory Duty. Liability Under…

In July 2019, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Respiratory Health, in partnership with not-for-profit organisation B&CE, commenced an enquiry into the issue of silicosis in the construction industry. The report was published in April 2020. The fact that the report is entitled “Silica – the next asbestos?” probably tells you something about the level of perceived…

It is well-known that, in principle, the costs of an inquest are recoverable in a subsequent clinical negligence claim. The leading case in this regard, also well-known, is Roach v Home Office [2010] QB 256. Every case, though, will turn on its own facts (there had been no pre-inquest admission of liability in Roach, for example). Moreover, in…

The Court of Appeal recently handed down a decision of particular interest in noise-induced hearing loss (“NIHL”) claims. Cowley v LW Carlisle & Company Ltd [2020] EWCA Civ 227 deals with the thorny issue of restoration of a company to the register. Whilst this is not an issue specific to NIHL claims only, it is of particular relevance to…

On 19 September 2019, the Social Security (Industrial Injuries) (Prescribed Disease) Amendment Regulations 2019 were tabled in Parliament. They came into force on 9 December 2019. With their passing, they brought into the spotlight a ‘new’ prescribed disease from the use of vibratory tools at work: Dupuytren’s Contracture. On the back of this, there will inevitably be…

Patrick Limb QC & Gareth McAloon have suceeded in the Court of Appeal for the Appellant in Mackenzie v Alcoa Manufacturing (GB) Ltd [2019] EWCA Civ 2110. The Court of Appeal has this morning handed down judgment in this significant decision on a noise-induced hearing loss (“NIHL”) claim in which they have overturned the decision of Garnham J…