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Accidents do happen

10 February 2012 / Patrick Allen
Issue: 7500 / Categories: Features , Personal injury
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Patrick Allen joins the debate over whiplash claims

The stream of prejudice against those who bring personal injury claims has continued unabated over the last few months. The Lofstedt report on health and safety regulations was published in November 2011. Professor Lofstedt made many sensible suggestions such as exempting from health and safety law those self-employed whose work activities pose no potential risk of harm to others, simplifying the disclosure requirement for pre-action protocols and reviewing the requirement for strict liability in some regulations.

Crucially he said in his introduction: “I have concluded…there is no case for radically altering current health and safety legislation…There is a view across the board that the existing regulatory requirements are broadly right, and that regulation has a role to play in preventing injury and ill health in the workplace. Indeed, there is evidence to suggest that proportionate risk management can make good business sense.”

Government spin

However, that did not fit in with the government pro-conker spin and they were clearly reading a different report. “The

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Hugh James—Phil Edwards

Hugh James—Phil Edwards

Serious injury teambolstered by high-profile partner hire

Freeths—Melanie Stancliffe

Freeths—Melanie Stancliffe

Firm strengthens employment team with partner hire

DAC Beachcroft—Tim Barr

DAC Beachcroft—Tim Barr

Lawyers’ liability practice strengthened with partner appointment in London

NEWS
Tech companies will be legally required to prevent material that encourages or assists serious self-harm appearing on their platforms, under Online Safety Act 2023 regulations due to come into force in the autumn
Commercial leasehold, the defence of insanity and ‘consent’ in the criminal law are among the next tranche of projects for the Law Commission
The Bar has a culture of ‘impunity’ and ‘collusive bystanding’ in which making a complaint is deemed career-ending due to a ‘cohort of untouchables’ at the top, Baroness Harriet Harman KC has found

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has secured £1.1m in its first use of an Unexplained Wealth Order (UWO)

County court cases are speeding up, with the median time from claim to hearing 62 weeks for fast, intermediate and multi-track claims—5.4 weeks faster than last year
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