It is a common feature of most industrial disease litigation that the relevant events often took place a long time ago. A trial judge determining such cases is frequently faced with limited documentary evidence and with evidence from lay witnesses (some of whom may have died before trial) who have limited recall of historic events…
25 Feb 2025
In a recent fatal clinical negligence case that I was involved in, the agreed medical position was that the Deceased would have been unlikely to survive for more than a month after the negligent event that brought about their death. This led to the Defendant disputing the claims for bereavement damages and funeral expenses brought…
18 Feb 2025
Victims of child sexual abuse who, later in life, pursue compensation claims, will no longer be required to bring those claims within 3 years of turning 18, nor will they have the burden of proving why their claim (if brought more than 3 years after turning 18) should be allowed to proceed. This was one…
Recent Posts
11 Feb 2025
The High Court Mesothelioma List provides for a swift appraisal of asbestos claims at the first Case Management Conference, where it adopts the “show cause” procedure set out in Practice Direction 49B at 49BPD.6. At this hearing, the court requires the Defendant to identify the evidence and legal argument which provides it with a real…
11 Nov 2024
On 23 October 2024, the Supreme Court handed down its decision in Tindall v Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police [2024] UKSC 33. The decision is the latest in many higher court decisions regarding the liability of police authorities to the public where they suffer injury. Liability of Public Authorities: A Reminder of the Key…
10 Jul 2024
I recently acted in the High Court appeal in Wetherell v Student Loans Company Ltd [2024] EWHC 1443 (KB) which raises some interesting questions about the personal injury landscape after the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013. When the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 came into force and personal injury claimants could no longer…
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04 July 2024
On 14 March 2024 the Court of Appeal handed down its judgment in White v Secretary of State for Health and Social Care [2024] EWCA Civ 244. The White appeal was one of two cases, heard together, the other being Cuthbert v Taylor Woodrow Construction Holdings. The issue in each case was that of breach…
16 April 2024
On 10 April 2024, the High Court handed down its decision in Williams-Henry v Associated British Ports Holdings Ltd [2024] EWHC 806 (KB). In that judgment the presentation of the Claimant’s claim for personal injury was considered fundamentally dishonest and so was dismissed under section 57 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 (“the 2015 Act”). In considering whether…
08 January 2024
After the introduction of the reforms to the Civil Procedure Rules in 2013, you may recall some judges becoming, at least initially, excited about the prospect of experts giving evidence concurrently (so-called “hot tubbing”). Since that early flush of excitement, I have been involved in only one trial in which it was used and I…
07 December 2023
Provisional damages operate as an exception to the general rule that damages are assessed on a once-and-for-all basis. Where a claimant finds themselves at a risk of developing a disease or deterioration in their physical or mental condition in the future, the general rule would require the court to assess that risk and compensate the…
07 December 2023
On 17 July 2023, the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC) published two important papers in relation to hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). HAVS, then known as Vibration White Finger, was first prescribed as an industrial disease by the IIAC over 40 years ago following the publication of its Command Paper Cm 8350 in 1981. The background…
04 December 2023
Following on from our October 2022 Rugby Union article on instrumented mouthguards, World Rugby will now be adopting mouthguards with smart technology that measures the force of impacts to the head in real time during matches. The mouthguards have already been used in the inaugural WXV competition and will be mandatory in World Rugby games…
30 November 2023
The Supreme Court has handed down its highly anticipated decision in TUI UK Ltd v Griffiths [2023] UKSC 48. The Supreme Court unanimously allowed the appeal of the Claimant, reversing the decision of the Court of Appeal. The judgment can be accessed here. The decision of the Court of Appeal is discussed in the author’s blog…
09 November 2023
An award of damages in an asbestosis claim is reasonably substantial, often in the region of six figures. It is almost always made on a provisional basis, a consequence of which is that, unless the return clauses are activated, special damages are usually lower than general damages. Therefore, the award for general damages is likely…
09 October 2023
What’s wrong with this picture (taken from this Breathe Freely Toolbox Talk)? Introduction In July of 2023, as I walked from the Combined Court Centre in Sheffield in the company of other disease lawyers, we passed a construction site that bore the impression of compliance with the Construction Design & Management Regulations 2015: a modern,…
01 August 2023
Whether assessing the likely award of general damages for pain, suffering and loss of amenity (“PSLA”) on behalf of a Claimant, setting a reserve or considering a Part 36 offer for a Defendant, it is important to ensure that one can be as accurate as possible in the assessment of general damages for PSLA. In…
28 July 2023
On 26 July 2023, the Court of Appeal handed down its decision in the case of FXF v English Karate Federation Ltd [2023] EWCA Civ 891, regarding the correct approach to dealing with applications to set aside default judgments. Specifically, the court addressed the issue whether the well-trodden criteria from Denton v TH White Ltd [2014] 1 WLR…
19 July 2023
Audiometric testing of employees has played a central role in the management of risk of exposure of workers to excessive levels of noise in industry for many decades. Audiometry can detect early damage to hearing. Typically where used by prudent employers, the testing would have comprised self-recorded automated audiometry (such as Bekesy audiograms). The reliability and relevance…
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