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Experts’ warning over asbestos-related cancers
Almost 200,000 people in the UK could still get asbestos-related cancers from exposure in the 60s and 70s, according to experts.
Professor Julian Peto, who holds the Cancer Research UK Chair of Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
Global building union calls for urgent action on asbestos
Global union federation Building Workers International (BWI) has called for urgent action on asbestos used in building materials. BWI general secretary, Anita Normark, said: “Today’s exposures guarantee an epidemic lasting at least..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
Tide turns on insurers’ exposure to asbestos claims
Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has published an article on the current state of asbestos exposure for insurers. The article, entitled “The Tide Has Finally Turned On Insurers’ Exposure To Asbestos Claims,” says that..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
Research reveals success of Scotland’s smoking ban
Research commissioned by NHS Health Scotland and the Scottish Executive has found that Scotland’s smoking ban has brought about an 86% reduction in exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) for bar workers across Scotland. This means that the air..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
UK product recalls increased by 8
The number of product recalls in the UK increased by 8% in the last year to 179, as businesses moved more decisively to protect their reputation from the harm caused by faulty goods, according to Reynolds Porter Chamberlain (RPC).
The largest..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
Deaths from Clostridium difficile and MRSA infections increase
The number of death certificates in England and Wales that mentioned Staphylococcus aureus infection increased each year from 2001 to 2005, from 1,211 to 2,083, according to new data published by the Office for National Statistics.
The percentage of..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
Report on preventing unintentional injury to children
A more coherent approach is overdue at a local level to help prevent accidental injuries to children, according to a new joint report published recently by the Audit Commission and the Healthcare Commission.
The report, “Better Safe Than..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
Motor Insurers’ Bureau and 1999 Agreement
Changes introduced into the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (Compensation of Victims of Uninsured Drivers) Agreement 1999 required the MIB to satisfy any judgment obtained under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976 by a claimant, being a dependant of a person..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
No jurisdiction to vary deemed order for costs
A costs judge had no jurisdiction to vary a deemed order for costs on the standard basis made on acceptance of a Pt 36 payment into court. He therefore had no jurisdiction, before conducting a detailed assessment of such costs, to order that a..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
Chief Constable not vicariously liable
Whilst off duty, a police constable, wearing his police uniform and in his own car was approached by a first aider from a nightclub, who had expressed his concern over an intoxicated person who was then taken to the car. The officer said he would..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
Employer in breach of PUWER
The House of Lords ruled that the aim of the Provision & Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 is to ensure that work equipment, which is made available to employees, may be used by them without impairment to their health or safety. This is an..
Online Published Date:
01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
No rule for equality
There was no absolute requirement as to equality of arms in the Civil Procedure Rules. The Court of Appeal so stated when allowing the appeal of a claimant in personal injury proceedings from a judge who had allowed an appeal by the defendant.
The..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
Whole-life multiplier and direct payments
Legislation and guidance concerning direct payments by local authorities towards the care costs of severely disabled people was so complex and labyrinthine that it was impossible for the court to decide to what extent a local authority would take..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
£120,000 compensation for gay discrimination
A gay media sales manager who was harassed and suffered discrimination because of his sexuality has been awarded almost £120,000 compensation. The man was insulted and sacked after eight days, and advised that he was not “psychologically..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
£700,000 payout for lung disease
A man left virtually wheelchair-bound after catching a disease from a parrot at work has won a £700,000 payout. The man caught psittacosis, a lung disease similar to pneumonia, from an infected parrot in the pet department at the store where he..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
£185,000 for mesothelioma widow
A widow has won a settlement of £185,000 for the death of her husband from mesothelioma. He worked as an apprentice electrician and subsequently as a qualified electrician with a large London based electrical contractor between 1962 and 1974...
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
Mesothelioma sufferer wins damages
A piping engineer has won a six-figure sum in damages against his former employer who exposed him to asbestos dust and fibres back in the 1970s. He was diagnosed with mesothelioma in October 2005. He received a £40,000 interim payout whilst he..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
Explosion victim wins settlement
A man has received a substantial six figure settlement from Corus in compensation for an accident in 2001 when a blast furnace exploded, expelling molten metal and hot glass. The explosion tragically led to three men being killed and numerous people..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
£26,000 damages for pleural plaques
A man who was exposed to substantial amounts of asbestos whilst working as an insulation engineer has won £26,000 damages after suffering from pleural plaques. He was given no protection from breathing in asbestos and no warning of its..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
£6.6mn damages for cerebral palsy
A teenage boy, who was left with brain damage resulting from negligence during his birth, has won £6.6mn in compensation. The boy is now confined to a wheelchair and has cerebral palsy that means he will never be able to work and requires..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
£5.75mn for baby crash injury
A young girl has been awarded £5,750,000 compensation after suffering severe injuries in a car crash. She was hit by a van in 1997 and her mother sued the van driver’s insurer. The girl, who was in a baby seat when the crash occurred, now..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
Aircraft death family receive £245,000
The family of an ex-SAS man who died after ejecting from his aeroplane have been awarded £245,000 compensation. The accident occurred in 2002 when the brakes of the private aeroplane that the man was flying failed when he landed at an airport...
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
Executive awarded £1mn after road accident
A woman who was left with impaired cognitive abilities after a road accident has won £1mn in damages. The executive was a passenger on a motorbike when she was hit by a car in London. Since the accident in 2000 she claims her memory has..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
Head crush woman wins damages
A woman whose head was crushed by a lorry in a loading bay has been awarded £243,750 in damages. She suffered the injuries in 1998 when a reversing lorry trapped her against the wall of the loading bay. As a result she suffered severe brain..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
Road smash victim wins £1.2mn
A man has been awarded at least £1.2mn compensation after a road accident left him brain-damaged. He incurred the injuries when his motorbike was hit by a car on the A4 motorway after the motorist had failed to look before he pulled out...
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
Malicious employer pays damages over dismissal
A store manager who suffered from a depressive disorder as a result of the way she was treated at work has been awarded £170,000 in damages by her employer. The court described her employer as malicious and high handed in its treatment of the..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
£42,000 for Vibration White Finger
A council road worker has secured £42,000 following injuries caused by exposure to vibrating tools. Repeated exposure to vibrating tools caused him to suffer from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Vibration White Finger. Throughout his employment, he..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
£23,500 for pleural thickening
A train driver who developed an asbestos-related condition after years working on steam locomotives and electric trains has received £23,500 compensation. The man was diagnosed with pleural thickening.
He began aged 16 as a steam locomotive..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
£7,500 for pleural thickening
A man has been awarded £7,500 in compensation for the asbestos-related condition pleural thickening. He was exposed to asbestos fibres as an instrument mechanic. He left in 1988 following an early retirement due to ill health. He discovered he..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
Dyslexic wins compensation for depression
A police officer with dyslexia, who was signed off sick with depression and later resigned after his requests for support were turned down, has been awarded compensation.
When he applied to join the police in 2003 he told them of his moderate..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
Sexual and race discrimination case succeeds
An Employment tribunal has ruled that two interpreters employed by the Home Office had been subjected to sexual and race discrimination. They are seeking £970,000 and £682,000 respectively in compensation. The two women were employed at..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
Occupational deafness test cases dismissed
All seven occupational deafness test cases formally known as the Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Deafness Test Litigation, heard in the High Court in Nottingham have been dismissed.
Judge Inglis refused to accept that the majority of the claimants..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
Tattoo goes horribly wrong
Professional negligence. It’s shocking sometimes how negligent professionals can be. Missing deadlines, filing the wrong papers, failing to read the small print. For some professionals, however, being negligent can go a whole lot further...
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
Court of Appeal – checking the spiraling costs of claimants’ solicitors?
By Danielle Singer and Adrian Cottam, Barlow Lyde & Gilbert
Online Published Date:
01 March 2007
Appeared in issue:
199 - 01 March 2007
Monthly Quota
“We are operating on the margins of effectiveness, and with further cuts looming we run the risk of bringing about a real collapse in the service.” - Judge Paul Collins, London’s most senior county court judge, tells Radio..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
Beachcroft to advise on Fourth Bodily Injury Awards Study
Law firm Beachcroft has been appointed to advise on the legal aspects of the Fourth Bodily Injury Awards Study, a major research project commissioned by the International Underwriting Association of London (IUA) in conjunction with the Association..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
Management liability policy for non-profit organisations
Beazley has launched a management liability policy for non-profit organisations that includes an optional extension for event cancellation. Beazley’s Non-Profit Organization Management Liability Policy combines employment practices liability..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
Global liability trends report from Aon
Businesses in most countries and industry sectors will continue to enjoy reducing liability premiums for the fifth consecutive year in 2007, according to “Look Beyond The Obvious,” a new report from Aon on global liability trends...
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
Allianz Cornhill launches public liability Excess of Loss
Allianz Cornhill Commercial has launched Excess of Loss, aimed at businesses that require a ‘top-up’ of their public liability cover. Excess of Loss covers general public liability and product risks and, in addition, risks from the..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
Claims management PI insurance consultation
The Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) has produced a Consultation Paper on “Claims Management Regulation Professional Indemnity Insurance.”
Businesses that provide claims management services must be authorised under the..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
A Lawyer’s Guide to Managing E-Lawyering Risks
From describing their practices to offering legal advice over the Internet, e-lawyering has created new ethical and legal risks, according to underwriters at Chubb. In response, Chubb’s new handbook, “A Lawyer’s Guide to Managing..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
National Patient Safety Agency report on patient falls
A report from the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) on patient falls has revealed that the overall direct healthcare cost to the NHS is estimated at £15mn every year. In an average 800-bed acute hospital trust there will be around 24 falls..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
Chubb launches new D&O policies
Chubb Insurance has launched two new Directors and Officers (D&O) policies: Masterprotect for public companies and Masterplus for private companies.
According to Chubb, the new Masterplus policy for private companies provides, as standard, an..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
IUA to run Professional Indemnity Forum
The International Underwriting Association (IUA) is to run a London Market group for professional indemnity underwriters. The Professional Indemnity Forum aims to promote sound principles for the best practice of professional indemnity insurance...
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01 March 2007
Appeared in issue:
199 - 01 March 2007
EL premiums could rise warns FSB
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has warned that employers’ liability insurance premiums could rise, following the introduction of a new scheme that allows the NHS to recover the costs of treating patients that have been paid personal..
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01 March 2007
Appeared in issue:
199 - 01 March 2007
British workers least likely to complain about work-related illness
A study has shown that British workers are the least likely in Europe to complain about the effect of their work on their health. The 4th European Working Conditions Survey published by the Dublin Foundation looks at working conditions in 31..
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01 March 2007
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199 - 01 March 2007
SME survey into liability insurance protection
Most SMEs are failing to insure themselves against potential legal action from employees, despite a predicted rise in the number of such actions, according to a survey conducted by Hiscox.
The survey found that less than one in five SMEs (18%) have..
Online Published Date:
01 March 2007
Appeared in issue:
199 - 01 March 2007
Small businesses hit by complexity of employment law
Figures released by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) show that UK small businesses are facing a growing headache because of the complexity of employment law.
The FSB provides a free legal helpline for its members to call when they have..
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01 March 2007
Appeared in issue:
199 - 01 March 2007
Counselling services and work related stress
The provision of counselling services for employees is not a complete defence against personal injury claims arising from work related stress. This is according to an Employment Brief from Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP).
In 2002, the Court of Appeal,..
Online Published Date:
01 March 2007
Appeared in issue:
199 - 01 March 2007
European Commission calls for cut in work-related illness/accidents
Work-related illness and accidents should be cut by a quarter across the EU under a new five-year strategy for health and safety at work adopted by the European Commission.
It follows a 17% reduction in fatal accidents from 2002 – 2004 and a..
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01 March 2007
Appeared in issue:
199 - 01 March 2007
P&I renewals update from Aon
The 2007 P&I renewal season has concluded after what was a more protracted process than many commentators were predicting, according to a P&I renewals update from Aon. “Although the P&I clubs’ advertised General Increases..
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01 March 2007
Appeared in issue:
199 - 01 March 2007
Chubb warning over Environmental Liability Directive
Industry must prepare for increased liabilities for environmental damage, which could result in huge costs, according to a warning from Chubb Insurance.
The Environmental Liability Directive (ELD) reinforces the ‘polluter pays’ principle..
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01 March 2007
Appeared in issue:
199 - 01 March 2007
New York City to establish new Victim Compensation Fund
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has accepted a comprehensive set of recommendations that will seek to ensure a sustained, high-quality public health response for individuals experiencing 9/11-related health conditions.
The recommendations..
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01 March 2007
Appeared in issue:
199 - 01 March 2007
Key punitive damages case ruling by US Supreme Court
American Tort Reform Association president Sherman Joyce has said that the Supreme Court’s ruling on a key punitive damages case “should help restore some reasonableness and predictability” to the awarding of such damages in the..
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01 March 2007
Appeared in issue:
199 - 01 March 2007