Personal Injury/Clinical Negligence
Government rejects multiple calls to reform whiplash claims process
The Ministry of Justice has rejected all but some technical changes to the Official Injury Claim portal put forward by both claimant and defendant representatives.
High Court upholds wasted costs order against law firm
A circuit judge was entitled to make a wasted costs order against a firm of solicitors that failed to translate their client’s statement and pleadings for use at trial, the High Court has ruled.
Lawyers can recover costs of attending rehab meetings “in principle”
The Court of Appeal has overturned a significant ruling last year that the costs of a fee-earner’s attendance at rehabilitation case management meetings are irrecoverable.
Simpson Millar buys personal injury practice out of administration
National firm Simpson Millar has rescued personal injury firm Novum Law out of administration, with the funder that owns the former also a creditor of the latter.
Credit hire firm “voluntarily assumed” risk of claimants being dishonest
A High Court judge has refused to overturn a non-party costs order against a credit hire company, saying the firm “voluntarily assumed the risk” of the claimants turning out to be dishonest.
Lawyers support Spinal Injuries Association bowel care campaign
Medical negligence law firm Hudgell Solicitors is supporting calls for a parliamentary inquiry to be held into the ‘inadequate and dangerous’ state of bowel care for patients with spinal cord injuries in healthcare settings.
ABI urges extension of injury damages tariff beyond whiplash
The fixed tariff for whiplash claims should be extended to other injuries to help reduce motor insurance premiums, the Association of British Insurers argued yesterday.
Value of legal services market “to hit £50bn” this year
The legal services market will continue to grow in 2024, hitting a turnover of £50bn with a “resilient” corporate law sector boosted by “stronger economic conditions” later in the year.
PI world turns its attention to Supreme Court for mixed-injuries case
Whiplash claimants, insurers and their lawyers will be watching the Supreme Court closely tomorrow when it hears the appeal on how to value so-called mixed injury claims.
A few weeks to go and still no sign of clin neg fixed costs rules
The Department of Health and Social Care has not yet ruled out the introduction of fixed recoverable costs for low-value clinical negligence claims in April – despite no rules being published.
MoJ launches call for evidence on whiplash tariff
The Ministry of Justice has launched a call for evidence on the whiplash tariff to inform the statutory review of the figures that it is required to carry out.
PI group’s shares continue to rise as it pays down more debt
Shares in AIM-listed legal services business NAHL jumped 11% yesterday on the back of a positive trading update showing a faster reduction in debt than expected.
Another Fletchers deal as regional firms kick off 2024 M&A activity
Fletchers Group, the serious injury law firm owned by private equity, has continued its expansion by taking on the once-core motorbike work of Macclesfield firm Thorneycroft.
Insurer not entitled to hold back evidence of potential PI fraud
An insurer was not entitled to hold back evidence that a claimant was a friend of the owner of the vehicle he collided with, hoping the claimant would lie about it in his witness statement.
Solicitor struck off for undervaluing claim and then fabricating form
A solicitor who submitted a claim form for far less than the case was worth, in order to avoid paying a large court fee, and later fabricated it to show a higher value, has been struck off.