A firm has failed in its appeal against the dismissal of its counterclaim after its evidence was found ‘not sufficiently compelling to justify’ allegations it was misled by a former client. Cheshire-based firm Harrison Bryce Solicitors Limited was instructed by Abdul Shamaj after his car was involved in a collision with another vehicle. The firm accepted instructions on a conditional fee basis. While preparing for trial, Harrison Bryce wrote to Shamaj in March 2022 recording

The government is seeking 'expert opinion, data and evidence' on the reforms which ushered in fixed tariffs for soft-tissue injury ‘whiplash’ damages. Announcing a post-implementation review of the whiplash reform programme, Sarah Sackman, justice minister, said the review would investigate the impact of raising the small claims track limit from £1,000 to £5,000 for road traffic accident-related personal injury claims. 'The reforms reduce the cost of making a claim, while ens

The cost of settling clinical negligence claims has more than tripled over the past two decades, according to a new report from the National Audit Office (NAO). Annual costs rose from £1.1 billion in 2006-2007 to £3.6 billion in 2024-2025. The government’s estimated liability for future claims has quadrupled over the same period, reaching £60 billion. The NAO said that it had repeatedly warned about the rising costs of clinical negligence, but “so far, no government has succ

Audit finds average childbirth injury case costs more than £11m to settle as watchdog urges stronger safety measures The NHS’s total liabilities for medical negligence have hit £60bn, driven by a jump in childbirth injury cases that cost more than £11m each on average to settle. The total sum of money the health service in England may have to pay out to settle lawsuits for mistakes by staff has quadrupled from £14.4bn in 2006-07, amid more claims and rising legal costs. The c

As more traditional investment sources dry up, litigation funders are seeking to tap the private credit market. But the industry will have to adapt if such capital flows are to endure. The evolving nature of funds flowing in and out of the litigation finance sector came under the spotlight at Brown Rudnick’s packed European litigation funding conference last week. Many traditional investors, such as pension and endowment funds, are pulling back from investing in litigation be

NHS Resolution (NHSR) should investigate the level of fees claimant clinical negligence lawyers deduct from clients’ damages as part of efforts to control the cost of claims, the public spending watchdog has recommended. The National Audit Office (NAO) said the Department for Health & Social Care (DHSC) has accepted the recommendation from Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee that it needs to manage the costs of clinical negligence more effectively, “including a mechanism t

The worst hospital trust in the country paid out more than £51m to 10 families The NHS trust running Cornwall's largest hospital has paid...

Researchers have raised their estimate for the value of the UK’s medico-legal market in 2024 to £677m, an increase of 4.5% on the...

T he onward march of mandatory mediation continues, with plans to refer more cases automatically taking effect this week. The Ministry...

A vascular surgeon who carried out hundreds of amputations before having his own legs removed to allegedly claim insurance cash has been...

L egal costs across the board rose for clinical negligence claims last year, despite efforts to resolve cases earlier. NHS Resolution's ...

The average time for a low-value motor claim to settle in the Official Injury Claim (OIC) portal has risen to an extraordinary 609 days –...

T he High Court has refused to grant anonymity to an expert witness who produced a discredited report. Registered clinical psychologist...

MPs have urged the government to come up with a plan within the next six months to deal with ‘astronomical’ claimants costs of clinical...

The number of new motor injury claims in the first quarter of 2025 fell to an all-time low, new figures have shown. The news comes after...

A panel of expert clinicians will review the care of almost 800 patients who underwent surgery at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS...

The government will carry out a full-scale review of personal injury reforms – defying HM Treasury’s positive outlook on how successful...

A judge has underlined the critical importance of reliable expert evidence, after a doctor in a care order case described her own...

An East Yorkshire widow has secured a substantial five-figure settlement following the tragic and preventable death of her husband, who...

M otorists are benefitting from lower insurance premiums as a direct result of whiplash reforms, a Treasury assessment has concluded. The...