- Practice Areas
- Publication Type
- Resources
- Practice Areas
- Publication Type
- Resources
- Home/Publications/Liability Risk and Insurance
GM reported to be seeking $1bn from RSA
General Motors is reported to be seeking in excess of $1bn in damages in its legal action over asbestos-related claims against Royal & SunAlliance, according to a report in the Daily Telegraph.
The report said that GM alleges that RSA has..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Equitas settles Crane Co asbestos claims
Crane Co., a diversified manufacturer of engineered industrial products, has entered into an agreement to settle its insurance coverage claims for asbestos and other liabilities against underwriters at Lloyd's reinsured by Equitas Limited for a..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Navigators expands transport practice in London
The Navigators Group has announced the creation of a Global Transport Practice, extending its offices in the US, the UK and Belgium. The Practice leader is Jan Dela Ruelle, a well-known specialist transport underwriter, based in the Company's..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Low level losses and premium reductions continue
The trend for rating and premium reductions continued in June, while exposure and AV52E limits within the main hull and liability programme increased, according to the latest issue of Aon Aviation's Airline Insurance Market News..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Catlin Guernsey opens for business
Catlin Group Limited has announced that Catlin Guernsey Limited is now actively underwriting aviation insurance for commercial policyholders. Catlin Guernsey specialises in underwriting general aviation insurance on behalf of the Catlin Syndicate at..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Claims figures for small law firms
Residential conveyancing has so far given rise to the highest number of negligence claims amongst 2-10 partner law firms in 2005, according to research carried out by Aon Limited.
Almost half (43%) of all claim notifications among 2-10 partner firms..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Markel to expand in the UK
Markel International has said it plans to double the size of its UK regional business, Markel (UK) Limited, through “an aggressive development strategy which will combine increasing its branch network, making senior hires, launching new..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Periodical payments – in whose interests?
By Juliette Coffey, Reynolds Porter Chamberlain
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
SickofPressureGroups.org
The US is full of societies, organisations, campaigns, and other pressure groups, and it is no surprise that the area of litigation is filled with such groups on both sides of the bar.
Last month, the American Trial Lawyers Association (ATLA) held..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Monthly quota
“As you know we have launched a debate about sensible health and safety - proportionate risk control not risk elimination. Conkers bonkers stories make me angry and this trivialises what HSE is about. 220 people killed by workplace activities..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
APIL responds to small claims consultation
The Association for Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) says it provisionally supports the ESCP “as it appears to offer many potential benefits, both in its own right and in relation to the current UK small claims court.” APIL believes that..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
European Small Claims Procedure consultation
Tourists who buy faulty goods abroad will be able to seek redress in this country under new EU proposals, which have been published for consultation. Businesses will also be able to use the new procedure where they are owed money by someone in..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
NU increases indemnity limit on legal expenses
Norwich Union has reviewed its legal expenses cover provided under shop and salon, office and surgery, pub restaurant and hotel, and self-employed policies, resulting in a five-fold increase from £100,000 to £500,000 in its indemnity..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
UK motor insurance market report from S&P
A new report from Standard & Poor's on the UK motor insurance market predicts that results will deteriorate further as the cycle turns, but it is not expected to be as severe as in previous cycles. S&P says that this is because of the..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
UK insurance market faces EC inquiry
The UK insurance market will have nothing to hide from the impending EC inquiry into breaches of anti-competition rules, according to law firm Davies Arnold Cooper (DAC).
Last month the EC announced it will be investigating the insurance market for..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
ABI research on chronic whiplash neck injuries
New research by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) “will help insurers more quickly identify patients with potentially chronic whiplash neck injuries to ensure that they receive the best medical care as soon as possible.” Each..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
National statistics on road casualties in 2004
The Department of Transport has published National Statistics on road casualties in Great Britain in 2004, which relate to casualties in accidents reported to the police.
The number of people killed in road accidents fell, by 8 per cent from 3,508..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
All mobile phones increase risk of crashing
Drivers using phones are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves, according to a study in Australia. The increased risk was estimated by comparing phone use within 10 minutes before an actual crash occurred with..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Legal opinion on director liability for s OFR statements
The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) has warned that an opportunity to change the face of business reporting may be at risk if fears of legal liability cause directors to resort to ‘boilerplate’ statements instead of..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Dentists to face compulsory indemnity cover
New powers for the General Dental Council (GDC) to protect patients have been announced by Health Minister Rosie Winterton. The new powers include measures to tackle problems highlighted in a report on the private dentistry market in the UK by the..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Equitable Life drops ‘lost sale’ claim.
Equitable Life has cut its claim for damages against its former auditor Ernst & Young from £2.05bn to £750mn. Equitable has dropped its ‘lost sale’ claim, the amount which Equitable claimed that it could have obtained if it..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Howden extends its BIBA professional indemnity policy
Howden UK has announced a new extension to its professional indemnity policy for BIBA brokers in response to the increasing need for protection from the threat of FSA investigations.
The policy extension will provide brokers with up to £100,000..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
TUC calls for Government investigation
The TUC has said that the Government should investigate the cause of the 25% drop in the number of tribunals in 2004-2005 compared to the previous year.
TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: “Of course employment tribunals should be..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
CBI warns tribunal claims drop may not last
The CBI welcomed the figures showing a 25 per cent fall in employment tribunal claims last year, but warned that the reduction may not be sustained.
John Cridland, CBI Deputy Director-General, said: “Employment litigation costs UK businesses..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Markel launches Employment Practices service
Markel UK has launched a new service for its Employment Practices Liability (EPL) clients, called Markel UK Assist, a free of charge employment law advice and guidance resource.
According to Markel, between April 2003 and April 2004, there were..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Tribunal claims fall by 25% says ETS
The Employment Tribunals Service (ETS) has published its Annual Report and Accounts for 2004-05, revealing that registered claims fell by 25%, from 86,181 claims registered, compared with 115,042 the previous year. ETS says that this is mainly due..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Survey finds stress in workplace is serious problem
Half of all employees think stress in the workplace is a “serious problem,” with 1 in 5 saying it is on the increase, according to a survey of workers in the City of London.The survey was conducted by Together: Working for Wellbeing, the..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Organisations join forces on stress at work booklet
New guidance on dealing with stress at work has been produced by the CBI, TUC, the Forum of Private Business and CEEP UK in conjunction with the DTI and Health & Safety Executive.
The new booklet aims to raise awareness of the issue of..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
TUC publishes stress management guide
The TUC has published a guide to help unions make sure employers are doing all they can to tackle the UK's growing stress “epidemic”.
The union guide is intended as a simple, easy to understand clarification of the Health and Safety..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
League of Heavy Lifters from HSE
The results of a study conducted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) comparing the daily routines of six professions to highlight the average weight lifted by workers, has found that supermarket home delivery people are top of the League of..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Fatal injury statistics from the HSC
The Health & Safety Commission (HSC) has published the latest detailed statistics on fatal injuries in HSE and local authority (LA) enforced sectors in 2004/05.
The figures show that the number of fatally injured workers decreased by 7% to 220..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
New chief executive for HSE
Geoffrey Podger, currently Executive Director of the European Food Safety Authority, has been appointed Chief Executive of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Podger will take up his new role at the HSE in November.
Before joining the European..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Causes of risk aversion in health and safety
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath has called for a common sense approach to risk management as he formally launched a debate on the causes of risk aversion in health and safety, hosted by the Health and Safety Executive.
“Since 1974 when the Health and..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
European consultation on GM food
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has launched an open consultation on its guidance document for the risk assessment of Genetically Modified Microorganisms (GMMs)
EFSA's guidance document is intended as an aid to applicants requesting..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Link found between obesity and injury risk
Results from a new study in the US suggest that extremely obese people are more likely than normal-weight people to injure themselves. Researchers collected health and injury data during a one-year period on more than 2,500 adults living in Colorado..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Claimants seek different treatment for similar injuries
Motor accident injury claimants from four US states seek different types of medical treatment even though they report similar injuries, according to a study of insurance claims by the Insurance Research Council (IRC).The study examined motor injury..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Limit on medmal awards bill approved
A bill designed to limit awards in medical malpractice lawsuits for pain and suffering to $250,000 in the US has been approved by the House of Representatives. The bill, is entitled the “Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-Cost, Timely..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Asbestos support group launched in Tyne and Wear
The Tyne and Wear Asbestos Support Group has recently been launched.At the launch, John Kelly, of the Tyne & Wear Asbestos Support Group said,“Between 1981 and 2000 there were 932 deaths from the asbestos cancer Mesothelioma in the Tyne..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Cape plc warned by victims over asbestos fund
The English Asbestos Victims Support Groups' Forum has warned Cape plc not to railroad through its proposed scheme to establish an asbestos fund to limit its asbestos liabilities.
The proposed Fund, which will be overseen by a Cape subsidiary,..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Government accepts report on asbestos-related diseases
The report of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC) on asbestos-related diseases has been laid before Parliament. Margaret Hodge, Minister for Employment and Welfare Reform, said the Government accepted all the report recommendations, and..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
$280bn claim against tobacco industry re-opens
The US Justice Department is reported to be again seeking $280bn in damages from tobacco firms. The case rests on accusations that the industry misled the public over the dangers of smoking.The Department has asked the Supreme Court to overturn..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Smoking is risk factor for premenopausal breast cancer
New research has revealed that passive and active smoking are both risk factors for premenopausal breast cancer. The research looked at a number of studies and concluded that “studies with thorough passive smoking exposure assessment implicate..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Study suggests cancer link to aspartame
Preliminary results from a long-term study to evaluate the potential carcinogenic effects of aspartame, an artificial sweetener, demonstrate that aspartame, when administered to rats for the entire life span, induces an increase of lymphomas and..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Travel companies warned over skin cancer
A study by Cardiff University has warned that travel companies are in danger of being sued by holidaymakers who develop skin cancer. Indeed, the study warns that tourism could go the same way as the tobacco industry.The study was published in..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Pilots at greater risk from cataracts
Researchers have warned that airline pilots could face an increased risk of eye damage because they are exposed to cosmic radiation. The research, published in the journal Archives of Ophthalmology, found that commercial pilots were three times more..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
HRT is carcinogenic says WHO
A working group from the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has concluded that combined estrogen-progestogen oral contraceptives and combined estrogen-progestogen menopausal therapy (also known as..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
DoH puts aside £7.8bn for compensation claims
The Department of Health has revealed that it has put aside £7.8bn to cover compensation claims and legal bills in medical negligence cases over the next 10 years. The figures were obtained from the department by
Liberal Democrat health..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
NHSLA publishes annual report
The NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA) has revealed a continuing reduction in new claims numbers in its 2004-2005 annual report and accounts. New claims under the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST) have reduced from 5775 in 2003/04 to 5273..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Unfair dismissal rights extended to over 65s
Over 65s are to get the same rights to unfair dismissal and redundancy payments as younger workers under new measures to outlaw age discrimination in the workplace, according to Trade and Industry Secretary Alan Johnson.
The new draft measures are..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Teacher's depression not caused by school
A teacher was dismissed on the grounds of ill health. She claimed that the school had caused her to suffer severe clinical depression on two occasions.
The trial Judge found when dismissing her claim that her mental condition collapsed under the..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Time extended for victim to find employer
Where, after an accident at work the identity of the employer was wrongly stated to the victim, the date on which for limitation purposes the employee was deemed to have knowledge of the defendant was postponed to allow a reasonable time for..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Liability arises from date of illness not inhalation
A council engaged a number of companies and firms to carry out demolition and building works on sites owned by it.An employee of one of these firms was exposed to asbestos fibres due to negligence on the part of the council, and he developed..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Returning to work after maternity leave
The employer's refusal to permit job-sharing of a full-time job amounted in the circumstances to unlawful indirect sex discrimination, contrary to section 1(2)(b) of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975.
An employer had refused to allow an employee..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
One psychiatrist on each side is enough
It was sensible and proportionate to limit expert evidence to one consultant psychiatrist for each party in a comparatively small claim for damages for psychiatric injury arising from stress at work in which the issues were clear.
The Court of..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
£6,000 for gay discrimination
A gay man has won £6,000 in compensation over his claim for discrimination.The salesman claimed he suffered severe verbal harassment at work, and his employers did not deal properly with his complaint. The case was reported to be the first..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
$9.9mn damages against Farmers Insurance
A Los Angeles jury has ordered California-based insurer Farmers to pay $9.9mn to two women policyholders for failing to defend them against a liability claim stemming from a neighbour's injury at their home.
The plaintiff had sued the two..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Damages for horse owner
The owner of a horse has won damages of £350,000 after it had to be destroyed after being given cortico-steroid injections. The owner of the champion dressage horse was not warned of the slight risk of laminitis, a potentially fatal hoof..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
£4mn for birth injuries
A teenage girl has been awarded £4mn damages for extremely severe injuries suffered during her birth when she was delivered by caesarean section at 31 weeks. She now suffers from cerebral palsy.The Court said that the caesarean birth at 31..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
MoD pays £620,000 in stress case
The Ministry of Defence has lost a case involving stress suffered by a soldier while on duty, and has been forced to pay £620,000 in damages.The ex-soldier claimed that the MoD failed to identify and treat his post traumatic stress disorder. He..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
£390,000 for multiple injuries
A 61 year old man has won damages of £390,000 for multiple injuries arising from a road accident in December 1999. He was employed as a nursing assistant at a local hospital and also as a part time school coach driver.
His car was hit by a..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Not your average shark attack
An Australian woman is reported to be suing an aquarium in Sydney after a giant exhibition tank exploded.As a result, she was covered with water, glass and sharks, and suffered deep cuts from a glass shard. She is claiming that suffered..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Damages for MRSA patient
Substantial damages have been awarded to a patient who contracted MRSA in hospital after a hip replacement. The hospital accepted that it had not followed its own guidelines on infection control. The 87 year old had to have her new hip removed after..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Compensation for severed hand
A Lance Corporal from South Wales has successfully claimed six-figure compensation from the Ministry of Defence (MoD). He suffered a traumatic hand amputation when it was caught in military machinery. His hand was trapped and severed by a hydraulic..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Substantial damages for car crash victim
A woman severely injured in a car crash when she was a teenager has been awarded substantial damages.The woman, who was a passenger in a car hit by another, suffered severe brain injury and will require care for the rest of her life.The insurers of..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Consultant claims £1mn in damages
A consultant urologist is claiming more than £1mn in damages against a private hospital. He was unfairly dismissed from the hospital where he had worked for 20 years, and he won £61,000 compensation and £10,000 costs at an employment..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
GP's widow sue trust over suicide
A health authority and a trust is being sued for damages by the widow of a GP who committed suicide. The doctor hanged himself after facing a three-year inquiry into the number of patients he referred for hospital treatment. The inquiry was..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Back injury compensation for Transco drivers
A number of drivers from Cumbria and Tyne and Wear employed by Transco Plc (and formerly British Gas) have secured compensation for back injuries suffered due to the use of laptops fitted into their vans.
The laptops were fitted to assist these..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Widow wins compensation from hospital
The widow of a man who died shortly after being discharged from hospital has received a six-figure sum in compensation. The man went into hospital complaining of heart pain, but doctors instead focused on treating liver disease.
The Health Service..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
BA loses EAT appeal
An Employment Appeal Tribunal has rejected an appeal by British Airways (BA) against a tribunal decision that found it had sexually discriminated against a pilot by refusing to let her work part-time. BA is reported to be preparing to appeal to the..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
MoD sued over flight death
The Ministry of Defence is being sued by the widow of a man who died on at RAF airfield. He was flying a Cessna plane when it crashed into the runway. His widow alleges that the accident was caused by an RAF helicopter being too close to the..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Woman welder loses unfair dismissal claim
A woman welder who claimed that she miscarried her first baby after she was forced to continue with manual work, has lost her unfair dismissal claim at the Court of Appeal.
She originally lost her claim for unfair dismissal and sex discrimination,..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
Some claims companies cashing in on London bombs
The Law Society has warned that thousands of people affected by the recent London bombings are at risk of being taken for a ride by ambulance-chasing claims companies.
The Law Society says it is aware of several accident claims firms that are trying..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005
TUC sets out to tackle “The Compensation Myth”
So what is the truth about Britain and its so-called compensation culture? Are we living in a compensation culture like the US, or is the situation rapidly becoming that way? Or is it a much diluted version of the US, or is there no compensation..
Online Published Date:
01 August 2005
Appeared in issue:
180 - 01 August 2005