November 4th, 2009
A leading judge has called for changes to be made in the way Fatal Accident Inquiries (FAIs) are conducted.
FAIs are public inquiries into fatal accidents, which are carried out in cases of suspicious or unexplained death.
Lord Cullen suggested that such inquiries should be made less formal and lawyers involved in the cases should no longer wear wigs and gowns.
The former lord president also said that FAIs should not be held in court anymore.
In his report related to Scotland, he stated: "My aim has been to set out practical measures for a system for inquiry into fatalities that is effective, efficient and fair."
His review into FAIs began in June 2008 and his findings also included the suggestion that a dedicated FAI team is set up.
Earlier this week, an inquiry in Scotland found that Paul Campbell, 25, of Eastriggs, had died in a quad bike accident due to the failure of a suspension unit on his vehicle, reports BBC News.
Tags: Aim, Bbc, Bike Accident, Failure, Fatal Accident Inquiries, Fatal Accidents, Gowns, Lawyers, Lord President, Measures, Paul Campbell, Public Inquiries, Quad Bike, Scotland, Suggestion, Suspension Unit, Unexplained Death, Wigs
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December 5th, 2008
The family of a man who was murdered outside a pub in 2004 are taking civil legal action against the people they say are responsible.
Kevin Lavelle, 29, was beaten around the head with a metal bar in a gang attack outside the Cricketers’ Arms in Banbury, the BBC reports.
He suffered severe brain damage and head injuries and later died.
The criminal case against the gang fell through because it could not be proven who dealt the fatal blow, but the family is suing its individual members to provide compensation for Mr Lavelle’s two young children.
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority – which was established in 1996 and is the government body responsible for administering the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme in England, Scotland and Wales – ruled that it could not automatically pay compensation for Mr Lavelle’s death.
"It’s rare to take what would be presumed to be a criminal matter through to the civil courts," the family’s solicitor admitted, but said that the aim is to provide for the children as Mr Lavelle would have done, had he been alive.
Tags: Aim, Banbury, Bbc, Bbc Reports, Brain Damage, Civil Courts, Cricketers Arms, Criminal Case, Criminal Injuries Compensation, Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, Criminal Matter, England Scotland, Fatal Blow, Government Body, Head Injuries, Mr Lavelle, Responsible Parties, Solicitor, Wales
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June 9th, 2008
Tests for pre-eclampsia – a serious medical condition that can cause high blood pressure in pregnant women – are inadequate, it has been claimed.
A study by the National Institute for Health Research found that the tests were not accurate enough to be recommended for use, reports Legal and Medical.
According to NHS Direct, pre-eclampsia is responsible for the deaths of between seven and ten mothers and up to 1,000 babies every year.
The condition also leads to complications in around eight per cent of all pregnancies and clinical negligence cases related to pre-eclampsia are also extremely common.
Carried out at Birmingham University, the research – led by Professor Khalid Khan – looked at existing evidence on current methods used to predict and prevent the condition, with the aim of identifying tests and treatments that would be cost-effective and clinically sound.
Research Janesh Gupta, professor of obstetrics and gynaecology, commented: "Most of these tests are widely available and have been used in the NHS but none were found to be sufficiently accurate to be used in routine clinical practice."
Tags: Aim, Babies, Birmingham University, Clinical Negligence, Deaths, Gupta, Health Research, High Blood Pressure, Khalid Khan, Medical Conditions, Medical Tests, National Health, National Institute For Health, Negligence Cases, Nhs, Obstetrics And Gynaecology, Pre Eclampsia, Pregnant Women, Routine Clinical Practice, Serious Medical Condition
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
