It is no doubt my age..  but I have an acute sense of deja vu!

As from 1 July 2016, we have ‘reverted’ to the old scheme of Boards of Management running our major hospitals (and geographic areas).  See the Health Services Act 2016 + the 30 June 16 Government Gazette.

The consequence, if I

 In Varipatis v. Almario [2013] NSWCA 76, the New South Wales Court of Appeal reversed the trial judge’s finding in favor of an obese patient alleging negligence on the part of his general practitioner in failing to refer him for weight loss surgery.

The trial decision, which on any assessment was generous to the plaintiff

As yet further proof that the most humble of circumstances can be made complex by the Law, the High Court recently (7 March 2012) handed down its decision in the “Big W hot chip case” (Strong v Woolworths [2012] HCA 5).

The case concerned a claimant, the aptly named (given the need to litigate

I note with interest the Court of Appeal’s decision in Nigam v Harm [2011] WASCA 211.

Whilst a case concerning a negligence action against a firm of solicitors, the important aspects of the case predominantly related to medical negligence claims.  

It was alleged the relevant firm of solicitors had been negligent in failing to:

I gave a talk a couple of weeks ago for the College of Surgeons, highlighting the key principles governing the obligations owed by medical and other expert witness’ to the court + set out in the District Court of Western Australia’s Code of Conduct.  Emphasis was placed upon the trust and reliance the Court places

For the 3rd time in so many months, the Court of Appeal has dismissed a Plaintiff’s appeal in relation to a medical negligence claim.  This time in the matter of Le Brun v Joseph + Or [2010]. WASCA 52, delivered on 24 March 2010.

This decision follows on the heels of the Court of Appeal’s decision in McLennan v McCallum [2010] WASCA 45, in which I acted for the Appellant on Appeal [but not at it’s initial trial]. 

In Le Brun, Mr Le Brun, by his mother (because of his disability, he could not bring the claim in his own right), appealed against the decision of District Court Judge McCann, who at the case’s initial trial had found negligence on the part of GP Dr Joseph and Kalgoorlie Hospital, but was not satisfied that such negligence had caused any loss and consequently dismissed the claim.

The case arose from alleged failure on the part of the Defendants, who were a hospital and general practitioners, to further investigate headaches experienced and reported by Mr Le Brun. 

Mr Le Brun’s case was if further investigations had occurred (either CT or consultant specialist review) his undiagnosed brain abnormality, an Arteriovenous Malformation [AVM] would have been identified prior to its rupture, and treatment therefore would/may have avoided the catastrophic disability he suffered following such AVM’s rupture. 

Continue Reading Le Brun v Joseph – another Appeal lost…

 Just a quick post, appreciating I’ve been lax of late, to note the High Court handed down its decision today, rejecting the appeal against the NSW Court of Appeal’s decision, against the plaintiff in this case.  Does this mean the end of ‘loss of a chance" damages in Australia?

I will digest the decision and

 The High Court delivered its much anticipated decision in this case on 3 March 2010.  I have to say my impression is a sense of anticlimax…

As I have said in an earlier post, this case was seen amongst some (including me!) as providing an opportunity for the High Court to provide useful guidance as