A Word About Insurance…One Big Convenient Excuse?

I passed my driving test in 1980, the year that Pac-Man was released, the Rubik’s cube became popular and John Lennon was assassinated.  In this year TR7s, Ford Cortinas, Ford Escorts were the  cars of the day.  I passed my test in a navy blue Chrysler Sunbeam (not before I had almost driven my driving instructor to distraction and drink, I might add!). The first car I was insured to drive in was a Ford Cortina – a dark purple monstrosity of a thing, the steering was so heavy I had muscles in my arms that Fatima Whitbread would have been envious of.

In 1982 I got married, Michael Jackson released Thriller, the Mary Rose was raised after 437 year under the sea and the Falkland Islands were invaded.  The purple Cortina made its way to the scrap yard and was replaced by a little cream Talbot Avenger.

Time marched on and in 1985, the year that the hole in the ozone layer was discovered and there was famine in Ethiopa, I gave birth to my first child.     We brought our daughter home from hospital in  dark blue Peugeot 205.  I’d had a ticket to see Bruce Springsteen that year and couldn’t go due to being with child!

In 1989, the Berlin Wall fell, The Bangles had a number one with Eternal Flame and I gave birth to a son.  He was brought home in a silver grey Peugeot 405.

In 1990, the year that Nelson Mandela was finally freed, England were knocked out of the world cup (again) and John Barnes rapped his way through the brilliant World in Motion, I bought a petrol blue Ford Fiesta and started working part time for a small law firm. Read more »

Chisora and Haye Brawl Highlights The Importance Of Reputation Management

Jamie Donald, Amateur Boxer, Manchester

As the fallout from the Chisora and Haye press conference brawl continues, the events highlight not only the issue of criminal ramifications but reputation management.

For many sports professionals their reputation is the most valuable and important asset.

What happened at the Chisora v Klitschko post fight press conference significantly harms the fighters’ reputations.

Klitschko watched on like a sober doorman as Haye and Chisora behaved like two drunken thugs.

Their behaviour was similar to that prior to the fight, which saw Chisora slapping his opponent across the face and spitting water in the face of his brother. While the Klitschko brothers showed significant restraint, Chisora was fined $50,000 from his purse.

The actions by two British fighters in Germany is somewhat embarrassing not only for themselves but for British boxing as a whole.

I doubt the German public will welcome them with open arms if they wish to fight there again. Both fighters are facing the prospect of being banned. Read more »

As Jones Once Said “Don’t Panic”

In my experience the biggest difficulty in establishing a business continuity plan is the tendency to attempt to make it too complicated. It’s a dull subject, preparing something you hope you’ll never use, so human nature dictates its hard to be enthusiastic about it.

A good plan should be brief, simple, and sensible. It shouldn’t attempt to cover everything. Practicing the Law is not simple, and its difficult to be brief, because you do have to cover everything. A business continuity plan is therefore bound to go against a lawyer’s traditional way of thinking.

For example, immediately post disaster what’s the number 1 priority? I would say its communication. Briefing your PR agency is absolutely critical, and it is essential that those staff you need to operate, based on skill set as opposed to status, know where to assemble. Its equally important that the rest of the staff know to stay at home. Read more »

Legal Aid Bill: The Media Whitewash

Whilst the government is getting a well deserved thrashing in relation to the proposed assault on the NHS, and the Welfare Reforms, there is much less noise and also much less support in the media in relation to the Legal Aid Bill currently making its way through Parliament. Bearing in mind that the Bill involves the issue of legal fees it is unsurprising that the majority of people at best don’t know and/or don’t care about this issue, as not only is it a dry and seemingly removed subject from our everyday lives, but also as the image of lawyers is historically so negative in the media.

I would hazard a guess that the large majority of the British public who have come into contact with lawyers at some point or another would no doubt admit that their solicitor was perfectly agreeable and even did a good job. However, there is still an underlying urban myth promoted by the media that lawyers are somehow slightly tawdry and only out for their own interests. I am sure that there are such lawyers out there, but the same could be said of any group of people in any walk of life. Read more »

The Legal Aid Bill – Everyone Affected

At the centre of these changes are the proposed changes to how no win no fee agreements operate. Simply, this allows a Client to enter into an agreement with a lawyer or legal team that if they don’t win the case there will be no charge to them but if they are successful the costs incurred by their legal team will be recovered from the other side. Therefore, these no win no fee agreements are backed by policies of insurance to cover the Opponents’ costs if the Client loses.

John Prescott is right; Part 2 of the Legal Aid Bill (“the Bill”) as proposed is going to affect a lot of people. Widely published as dealing what are said to be excessive costs in personal injury cases, the Bill as drafted has wide ranging consequences for any individual or company looking at bringing a case of any sort in the civil courts.

There have been a number of suggestions surrounding the Bill of what should happen with these agreements. These include the banning of being able to recover insurance premiums from a losing Opponent, Defendants not being able to recover their legal costs if they are successful (except in certain cases where the Claimants’ case was very weak) and an increase in damages of around 10% to partly pay for these costs. Read more »

Fresh Concerns Over DePuy Hip Replacements

Following on from the PIP scandal, new concerns are being raised over DePuy hip replacements.

DePuy replacements consist of metal on metal replacements which were recalled in 2010 due to their extremely high failure rates.

Previously concerns had been raised regarding the loosening of the implants and the risk of metal fragments working loose causing pain and mobility issues.

However, advisors to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have decided the advice should go further due to concerns that the devices could cause “systemic toxicity” in the body.

Class actions have begun in the USA and claims are increasing in the UK.

Any patients suffering abnormal pain or deteriorating hip function should immediately contact their surgeon and request an MRI scan or ultrasound to check for soft tissue reactions and loosening of components.

They should now also request tests to establish levels of cobalt and chromium in their blood. Increased levels of cobalt and chromium can be toxic to kidneys.

This is a worrying development coming so soon after the PIP publicity which once again calls into question the system of regulation of medical devices.

All patients who have had this device fitted whether they have experienced problems or not should have been recalled for advice.

If patients have any concerns they should contact me immediately on 0161 832 6131 or paula.bridge@ralli.co.uk and I will be happy to advise further.