Expert witness skills “should be part of doctors’ training”
Learning the skills of being an expert witness should be part of the training of GPs and consultants so they can give evidence when other doctors are under the microscope, it has been claimed.
Court berates “most unsatisfactory” expert evidence
Claimants and their lawyers could not just blame their expert for the “most unsatisfactory” state of his evidence, the Commercial Court has said in refusing to allow them to bring part of their claim.
No implied sanction for failure to serve medical report
There is no implied sanction for failing to serve a medical report, the High Court has ruled, reinstating a complex personal injury claim which had been struck out.
Virtual hearings “could improve quality of expert evidence”
The ability for experts to give evidence remotely in the new era of virtual hearings will be “very welcome” in some cases, a senior judge said today.
Number of MROs shrinks by a third as MedCo clamps down
The number of medical reporting organisations on the MedCo system has shrunk by a third in only eight months, it emerged last week. By the end of August 2018 there were 78 MROs in the system, compared with 120 at 31 December 2017.
Expert who sent first draft of evidence to solicitors “not a hired gun”
It was “a serious transgression” for an expert witness to make changes to his evidence after sending a first draft to his client’s solicitors, the High Court has ruled. However, it rejected the other side’s contention that the expert had come across as a “hired gun”.
Senior judge warns experts over conditional fee agreements
The president of the Upper Tribunal’s Lands Chamber has warned expert witnesses that it could refer them to their professional bodies if they break the rules on conditional fees. Sir David Holgate said experts owed the same “duty of candour” to the court as solicitors.
High Court rejects MRO’s bid for summary judgment over £1.6m “owed” by law firm
The High Court has rejected an application for summary judgment by a medical reporting agency seeking to reclaim almost £1.6m in fees from a law firm. Master Clark said the information clause in the agreement between them did not create an “obligation to account” on the part of the law firm.
