Personal Injury/Clinical Negligence
Professional enablers fuelling “opportunistic personal injury fraud”
The cost-of-living crisis is encouraging “opportunistic” personal injury fraud, with “professional enablers” designing “cynical ‘conveyor belt’ processes” to maximise fake or exaggerated injuries.
Eight out of 10 NHS claims now settle pre-issue
The proportion of claims settled by NHS Resolution pre-issue hit a record 80% in the last year, but the cost of claims still rose, according to its annual report.
Report fees to rise as government consults on medico-legal reforms
An increase in fees for medical reports and a ban on lawyers instructing medical experts before the defendant’s liability decision are among reforms put out for consultation today.
CA: Interpreters’ fees are recoverable in fixed-cost PI cases
Interpreters’ fees are recoverable as a disbursement in PI fixed costs cases, without which solicitors may not take on cases for clients who cannot speak English, the Court of Appeal has ruled.
Top entrepreneur boosts stake in leading PI law firm
Transport entrepreneur Sir Brian Souter has boosted his stake in top personal injury firm Winn Solicitors, along with founder Jeff Winn, after the other external backer sold up.
Fixed costs mean PI lawyers “need to embrace new mindset”
Personal injury lawyers need to be able to switch between “adversarial and dispute resolution mindsets” to equip themselves for the future, the chair of a mediation service has argued.
Law firm had “every right” to terminate retainer, judge rules
A law firm had “every right” to terminate its retainer with a clinical negligence client when presented with evidence from the defendant that she had lied about the severity of her symptoms.
MR on fixed costs extension: “I hope it works”
The Master of the Rolls has said he believes the extension of fixed recoverable costs (FRCs) to many cases worth up to £100,000 in October is “a good thing” and “I hope it works”.
Supreme Court agrees to hear insurer appeal on OIC mixed injuries
The Supreme Court has granted the insurance industry permission to appeal the Court of Appeal ruling on mixed injury claims in the Official Injury Claim portal.
Vaginal mesh claimants “distraught” after SRA closes firm
Women who claim to have been harmed by vaginal mesh implant surgery have been left “angry and distraught” after the SRA closed down a law firm acting for them.
Hampson Hughes administrators begin legal action to recover £2m
Letters before action have been issued seeking to recover over £2m from people involved in the demise of one-time personal injury giant Hampson Hughes.
Two years of OIC – £130m paid out but criticism still abounds
Claimants pursuing cases through the Official Injury Claim portal have received £130m in its first two years – but their lawyers remain very unhappy with the system.
New APIL head: Fixed costs will trigger decade of litigation
The extension of fixed recoverable costs later this year will lead to “poor behaviours” and a decade of litigation to clarify how they work, the new president of APIL has predicted.
Law firm arm powers revenue growth at listed business
Anexo Group – the AIM-listed business that combines credit hire and legal services – saw revenue and profit increase sharply last year, driven by major growth in its legal division.
Motor claims fall to new low as self-representation creeps up
The number of motor injury claims reported to the Compensation Recovery Unit fell to their lowest first-quarter level ever this year, new figures have shown.
Blog
Change in regulator shouldn’t make AML less of a priority
While SRA fines for AML have been climbing, many in the profession aren’t confident they will get any relief from the FCA, a body used to dealing with a highly regulated industry.
There are 17 million wills waiting to be written
The main reason cited by people who do not have a will was a lack of awareness as to how to arrange one. As a professional community, we seem to be failing to get our message across.
The case for a single legal services regulator: why the current system is failing
From catastrophic firm collapses to endemic compliance failures, the evidence is mounting that the current multi-regulator model is fundamentally broken.
