An amputee faces many challenges. The loss of a limb can be devastating and will affect all aspects of an individual’s life. The most obvious impact is on their physical life, however losing a limb will also have a psychological and emotional effect, as well as making a real difference to a patient’s social life and surroundings. Anyone undergoing an amputation will not only need…
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Doctors themselves commonly refer to pain being whatever their patient says it is, showing just how subjective ‘pain’ can be. The matter is further complicated when it comes to considering the causes of pain, which themselves are often as multifaceted as the pain itself. Medical parlance splits ‘pain’ into two headings: acute pain and chronic pain. Acute pain is described as pain lasting no longer…
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Vicarious liability is the legal obligation on an employer to be responsible for the negligence or other misdeed of an employee if that action occurred during the course of the employee’s work or was sufficiently linked to it. The UK’s law courts have regularly reviewed the boundaries of vicarious liability and it can be useful to consider a recent High Court case relating to an…
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I suspect I am not alone in acknowledging that the issue of mental capacity can be devilishly challenging. However, I am strongly of the opinion that all professionals working in the field of capacity carry a grave responsibility, in the interests of justice and of human rights, when seeking to protect some of the most vulnerable in our society. In this article, I will seek…
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Neurological rehabilitation therapy – neurorehabilitation – teaches or re-trains patients how to recover or improve their communication skills and mobility, as well as other aspects of their daily lives. The main aim of such therapy is to get patients’ skills working at the highest possible level as a step towards adopting a positive mood and rebuilding their self-esteem. Neurological rehabilitation can offer all patients great…
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A recent survey revealed tailgating, the practice of driving too close to the vehicle in front, as the UK’s most loathed driving habit. Amongst the 1,000 people surveyed, tailgating finished ahead of not indicating, leaving full-beam headlights on at night, and cutting in. Interestingly, middle-lane hogging and drivers who refuse to let a vehicle pull out were further down the bad-habit list. While these practices…
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Rugby fans like me will be happy that the Six Nations Championship is now well under way – but rugby, as a full contact sport involving heavy body collisions between two or more players, often results in serious injury to amateur and professional players alike. It is widely accepted that, by participating in a game, rugby players accept a certain risk of injury and, in…
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Cases involving falls from height are still too common despite the UK’s current working at height regulations. These rules place significant obligations on employers who require work to be done at locations from which, if there are no precautions in place, a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury. One such case arose from an incident involving the removal of asbestos roof…
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In November 2018, the UK government published its response to a public consultation on road safety for cyclists and pedestrians. As a personal injury lawyer and a keen cyclist, I contributed evidence as part of the consultation – I have also been considering the Department for Transport’s response and future plans. The government’s ultimate aim is clearly expressed: by 2040, most people should travel short…
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The use of surveillance evidence in personal injury claims is becoming more and more common. Insurance companies representing defendants continually use undercover surveillance to question a claimant’s credibility or undermine their claim. An insurer may consider it worthwhile and cost-effective to gather this type of evidence if there is a possibility that the value of a claim might be substantially reduced or perhaps even dismissed…
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Striding out for charity – summer fundraising in support of Headway Sussex
This summer, George Ide LLP is fundraising for local acquired brain injury charity Headway Sussex by pulling on our walking boots and striding out along part of the iconic South Downs Way. The George Ide... Read News