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MedCo chooses Bond Solon and Docslot to accredit expert witnesses
MedCo, the new system for sourcing medical reports in whiplash cases, has announced that Bond Solon and Docslot have been chosen as the first two companies to accredit experts.
Neuberger unsure of benefits of single joint experts
The use of single joint experts could render the judge purely a “figure head” in proceedings, the president of the Supreme Court has warned. But Lord Neuberger questioned whether the present system of cross-examination of experts is the best way to proceed.
Poll: no increase in use of single joint experts post-Jackson
There is little sign of the Jackson reforms achieving the goal of an increase in single joint experts being instructed, new research has indicated. A survey of 165 experts found that just 14% said the number of instructions to act as a single joint expert had gone up.
Experts acclimatise to tougher post-Jackson life
The post-Jackson climate for expert witnesses is “leaner and meaner”, according to a leading observer of their work. Mark Solon, managing director of Bond Solon Training, said the pressure was coming both from the courts and from instructing solicitors.
1 April set in stone as government unveils further statutory instruments to implement LASPO
Any hopes that the 1 April implementation of the Jackson reforms might be delayed have been ended by a statutory instrument that seems to set the date in stone. The news comes as the government laid two further orders before Parliament that will bring further aspects of the reforms into force on that day.
Survey highlights need for claimant lawyers to take initiative in whiplash debate
Claimant personal injury lawyers need to focus less on the compensation would-be clients could win and also to convince the public that whiplash is a real injury, a survey of consumers has indicated. It was presented during a wide-ranging debate on whiplash at last week’s MASS conference.
Top judge backs benefits to court of hot-tubbing
Concurrent evidence from expert witnesses – or ‘hot-tubbing’ – is worth doing if it even if it just saves court time rather than costs, the senior presiding judge said last week. Lord Justice Goldring also warned experts over rumours of padding their hours since legal aid rates were cut.
Ex-RJW partner bids to “reinvent” medical reports process by separating procurement from diagnosis
A former Russell Jones & Walker partner is bidding to “reinvent” the medico-legal process in low-value personal injury claims with a new service that will “redress the imbalance which predisposes evidence to favour the instructing party”.
AJAG attacks ‘flawed’ government plans for recoverable expert reports ATE
Government plans for recoverable after-the-event (ATE) insurance for expert reports in clinical negligence cases are fundamentally flawed, it has been warned. The Access to Justice Group repeatedly criticised the proposals for starting from the “incorrect premise” that each case is individual.
Costs pilots extended as new experts guidance is published
The three costs pilots running in the county court and High Court are set to be extended for a further six months, it has emerged. The draft 59th update of the Civil Procedure Rules says that the pilots should now run until 31 March 2013.
