<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Mr Joshua Parker v (1) Skyfire Insurance Company Limited (2) Spectra Drive Limited [2024] EWHC 1060 (KB)</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>High Court, Mrs Justice Dias</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This case concerns an appeal from an order of Mr Recorder Michael Smith sitting in the County Court at Liverpool on 25 September 2023 refusing an application by the Defendant ("Skyfire") for non-party disclosure under <strong>CPR Part 31.17</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Background</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The underlying claim arise out of a road traffic accident which occurred on 5 December 2021 and involved what insurers have labelled <strong>"Google-spoofing"</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Following the accident, the Claimant, Mr Parker, immediately attempted to notify his insurers, Hastings, of the accident. He Googled their name and rang the first number in the list of search results. Unbeknownst to him, he was in fact speaking to a claims management company which told him that he would be put in touch with a hire company who would arrange for his car to be repaired. His car was then collected from his home later that same day. On the following Monday, he was called by the First Respondent ("Spectra") who told him that they could provide him with a hire car and also sort out the damage to his own car.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In due course he was sent a number of documents by Spectra. These included:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>A short-term rental agreement for a maximum of 89 days on Spectra's letterhead and displaying its contact details and company registration. There was an express acknowledgement in the signature box that the hirer was agreeing to hire the vehicle on the terms and conditions contained in the agreement. Clause 5 of those conditions (which applied where the hire was necessitated by damage to the hirer's own car in a road traffic accident) contained an undertaking by the hirer to pay the hire charges either at the conclusion of any action against the third party alleged responsible for the accident or in any event within 11 months of the date of the agreement;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>A Form of Authority authorising Spectra to recover all uninsured losses arising from the accident and to appoint a solicitor on behalf of the hirer;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>A Mitigation Questionnaire in which the hirer acknowledged that the hire vehicle was not free, and that it was being provided on a credit hire basis;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>A sheet of FAQs identifying the hire company as Spectra Drive Limited and expressly clarifying that Spectra was not the hirer's insurance company or part of or acting on behalf of the hirer's insurers. It also stated that the hirer was legally liable for the charges incurred in hiring the vehicle but that Spectra would recover these from the third party. It continued, <em>"We will not ask you to pay the charges provided you have complied with the terms of the agreement and co-operated with us or any solicitor you instruct, throughout your claim."</em></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mr Parker signed all these documents by Docusign.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mr Parker sought to recover his losses arising out of the accident, including the credit hire charges and other storage and recovery fees incurred under the agreements with Spectra.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Skyfire objected to the claim for credit hire charges on a number of grounds, including enforceability of the credit hire contract. Skyfire strongly suspected that in the course of Spectra's discussions with Mr Parker, some misrepresentation was made, whether as to any association between Spectra and Mr Parker's own insurers, or as to the circumstances in which Mr Parker might or might not himself be called upon to pay the charges under the agreement. Its argument was that if any misrepresentation were made, the agreement would be voidable for misrepresentation and that if Mr Parker were to avoid it, he would not be under any subsisting liability to pay the credit hire charges and would not have suffered any corresponding loss. Skyfire would accordingly be relieved <em>pro tanto</em> of any obligation to indemnify him.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>However, Skyfire was unable to advance any positive case to this effect without the recordings of the conversations between Mr Parker and Spectra, and so made an application against Spectra for non-party disclosure of <em>"the recordings of all calls between Mr Joshua Parker and Spectra in relation to the accident, vehicle damage and replacement vehicle…". </em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Skyfire’s Defence and Counter Schedule of Loss simply put Mr Parker to proof that he signed an enforceable agreement with Spectra and as to the representations made to him regarding the terms of payment.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Part 31.17</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>CPR Part 31.17 provides in material part as follows:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>"(1)&nbsp;This rule applies where an application is made to the court under any Act for disclosure by a person who is not a party to the proceedings.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>(2)&nbsp;The application must be supported by evidence.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>(3)&nbsp;The court may make an order under this rule only where—</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>(a)&nbsp;the documents of which disclosure is sought are likely to support the case of the applicant or adversely affect the case of one of the other parties to the proceedings; and</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>(b)&nbsp;disclosure is necessary in order to dispose fairly of the claim or to save costs.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>…"</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was common ground that Part 31.17(3) sets out the threshold conditions which must be satisfied before any order can be made but that even if those conditions are met, <strong>the court has an overarching discretion whether to grant the order or not</strong>. In other words, satisfying Part 31.17(3) is a necessary but not sufficient condition of obtaining relief.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was also not seriously in dispute that <strong>an order for non-party disclosure is to be regarded as the exception rather than the rule</strong>: see <em>Rowe v Fryers</em> [2003] EWCA Civ 655 at [10].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The judgment under appeal</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The application for non-party disclosure came before the Recorder on 25 September 2023 and was opposed by both Spectra and Mr Parker on the grounds that:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Disclosure was not necessary in the circumstances of the case;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>There had been delay in bringing the application;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>It would be disproportionate to require Spectra to search for all recordings over the entire lifetime of its relationship with Mr Parker;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>On a proper analysis of the law, no useful purpose would be served by ordering the disclosure because it would take Skyfire nowhere.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In his judgment, the Recorder recognised that he was required to consider first whether the threshold conditions in Part 31.17 had been satisfied before proceeding to exercise his discretion based on a consideration of all the circumstances in the case.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>His conclusions were as follow:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>He accepted that the question of enforceability and misrepresentation was a pleaded issue to which the disclosure was relevant.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>With some hesitation, he also accepted that the documents were necessary in order for Skyfire properly and fairly to advance the case it wished to make since, without the disclosure, its counsel would only be able to cross-examine Mr Parker on a purely speculative basis.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>It would not be unduly difficult to search for the recordings and it would not therefore be disproportionate to require disclosure to be made.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Skyfire could justifiably be criticised for having delayed in bringing the application, with the result that granting the order would inevitably lead to vacation of the trial date. However, the credit hire charges were the key issue remaining in the case and the sum at stake was substantial. If disclosure was otherwise justified on the grounds of necessity, delay would not itself be a reason to refuse an order. There was no real prejudice to Mr Parker in vacating the trial since he had not been called upon to pay the charges himself and was not being kept out of any other damages to which he was entitled.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>However, even if the disclosure demonstrated unequivocally that there had been a misrepresentation, Skyfire's defence could still not succeed because the contract between Mr Parker and Spectra remained valid and enforceable until such time as Mr Parker chose to avoid it. There was no indication that he intended to do so and on the authority of <em>Irving v Morgan Sindall plc </em>[2018] EWHC 1147 (QB) he would be entitled to recover even if his liability under the contract was contingent upon his recovering damages from Skyfire.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Accordingly no useful purpose would be served by making an order.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Grounds of appeal</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In its Appeal Notice, Skyfire asserted that the Recorder's reasoning disclosed an error of law and/or that his conclusion was perverse. More specifically, it asserted that:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>The Recorder wrongly interpreted <em>Irving v Morgan Sindall plc (supra)</em> as precluding Skyfire from raising an argument as to misrepresentation.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>It was inconsistent for the Recorder to suggest that, despite satisfying the threshold provisions of Part 31.17, disclosure would nonetheless serve no useful purpose.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>The conclusion that no useful purpose would be served was in any event perverse since it was based on an assumption that the contract with Spectra would be confirmed by Mr Parker when there was no direct evidence from him to this effect, only indirect hearsay evidence from his solicitors (in respect of whom there was a clear conflict of interest given that they also acted for Spectra). It was pure speculation what his evidence would be at trial.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Permission to appeal was granted on the papers. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Discussion and analysis</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was not in dispute that an appeal from the County Court does not proceed by way of rehearing.  It is limited to a review of the decision below and in accordance with CPR Part 52.21(3) requires the appellant to show that the decision appealed from was either wrong or unjust because of a serious procedural or other irregularity in the proceedings below. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mrs Justice Dias began by observing as follows (§21):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><em>‘…the relevance of the disclosure is in relation to the question of whether Mr Parker has suffered any loss in respect of the credit hire charges. If the agreement with Spectra were invalid (for example, because it was irredeemably unenforceable due to some breach of the Consumer Credit Act), then Mr Parker would be under no liability to pay the charges and would have suffered no loss in that respect. In those circumstances, any claim would be limited to general damages to reflect the notional cost of hiring a car: see Bee v Jenson [2007] EWCA Civ 923.’</em></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Accordingly, Mrs Justice Dias did not accept the suggestion by the Claimant that any issue of remoteness arose or that the recent Supreme Court decision in <em>Armstead v Royal &amp; Sun Alliance Co. Ltd</em> [2024] UKSC 6 had any relevance. It was observed that in that case, the argument raised by the defendant as to enforceability of the credit hire agreement had been withdrawn before the case reached the Court of Appeal and there was no dispute that the claimant was under a liability to pay the hire company.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Threshold requirements</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Turning to the threshold requirements of Part 31.17(3), Mrs Justice Dias said as follows:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>‘…there was no dispute before me that <strong>when assessing whether the disclosure sought is <em>"likely"</em> to support or adversely affect one side's case, the appropriate test to apply is whether it <em>"may well"</em> do so</strong>. This requires a higher degree of probability than that of <em>"real prospect"</em>…but something less than a balance of probabilities…’ (§23).</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>‘It is clear from the material placed before me, including various court decisions involving Spectra itself, that <strong>it is not uncommon in credit hire cases for the claimant to be told – incorrectly – that he or she will have no personal liability for the hire charges</strong>. Other criticisms have also been made of credit hire companies, for example in failing to make clear that they were not the claimant's insurers or acting on behalf of the claimant's insurers. Equally there have been cases where it has been held that no misrepresentation was made’ (§24).</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>‘However, it is important to note that these are all findings which were made after the judge had heard evidence at trial. This, by contrast, is a pre-trial application where it cannot be known for certain whether any misrepresentation was actually made or, if so, exactly what was misrepresented. [Counsel for the Appellant] submits that this is precisely why pre-action disclosure is needed because the point is crying out for investigation at trial’ (§25).</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>I have considerable sympathy with this submission. <strong>Non-party disclosure applications frequently involve a degree of speculation as to what will emerge</strong>. The question for me is whether Skyfire has done enough to show that the call recordings "may well" support its case or adversely affect that of Mr Parker’ (§26).</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>‘<strong>At the very least, it seems to me that this is a point which would in principle be worthy of exploration at trial</strong>. <strong>I am</strong> <strong>therefore satisfied that the disclosure sought "may well" support Skyfire's case on misrepresentation and is accordingly likely to do so</strong>. It is not a mere fishing expedition. <strong>I stress, however, that this is a decision which rests on the particular facts of this case</strong>. It may well be that in cases involving other claims management and credit hire companies, there is not sufficient evidence to satisfy the threshold condition of likelihood with regard to the existence of a misrepresentation. This must always be a fact-specific assessment which may vary from case to case and it is not possible to lay down any general rules’ (§29).</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>‘However, that is not the end of the matter because Skyfire must also satisfy me that the disclosure is <strong>necessary in order to dispose fairly of the claim or to save costs</strong>. But <strong>if there is no real prospect that the disclosure can make any difference to the outcome of the claim, it is difficult to see how it could ever be "necessary" to the fair disposal of the claim</strong>’ (§30).</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>‘There was rightly no suggestion in this case that the contract was unenforceable or invalid because Mr Parker did not understand what he was signing. <strong>It is well-established that it unnecessary for a contracting party to have understood the true nature of the contract in order to be bound by it</strong>: <em>Burdis v Livsey </em>[2002] EWCA Civ 510’ (§31).</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>The only basis on which it was suggested that Mr Parker might not actually be liable to Spectra was on the grounds of misrepresentation. However, it was conceded that <strong>even if it could be established that Mr Parker's contract with Spectra was tainted by misrepresentation, that would not of itself mean that he was under no liability</strong>, conceding, amongst other things, that <strong>a voidable contract is valid unless and until it is avoided</strong>; <strong>avoidance requires the innocent party to take some steps to rescind the contract</strong>; <strong>recission is not available unless it is possible to make <em>restitutio in integrum</em></strong>; and <strong>a contract cannot be rescinded if it has been affirmed by the innocent party</strong> with full knowledge of the facts and of his or her right to avoid (§32). </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Mrs Justice Dias disagreed that the Recorder wrongly interpreted <em>Irving v Morgan Sindall plc</em>.  In her view, the Recorder correctly identified the proposition that a claimant's liability under a credit hire contract is, whether as a matter of construction or by operation of a collateral agreement or otherwise, contingent upon them recovering damages from the defendant, which contingent liability constitutes a loss in respect of which a claimant can recover (§35).  </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>The Recorder’s conclusion that ordering disclosure would be futile was the result of his assessment, based on the facts and evidence before him, that there was no sufficiently realistic prospect of avoidance <em>even if</em> a misrepresentation could be established (§36).</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>The question whether the Recorder's conclusion was nonetheless wrong because it was perverse required consideration of two separate questions: (1) <strong>whether avoidance was even an option</strong> <strong>open to the Claimant</strong> <strong>unless he could make restitution</strong>; and (2) <strong>if it was,</strong> <strong>whether he had in any event put it out of his power to avoid by affirming the contract</strong> (§38).</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>As to <strong>affirmation</strong>: ‘A voidable contract does not depend for its validity on whether it has been affirmed or not. Rather it is valid unless and until it is avoided. <strong>The correct question is</strong> therefore not whether the Respondents have produced sufficient evidence of affirmation, but <strong>whether Skyfire can point to a real prospect that the contract is both capable of being avoided in principle, and, if so, might in fact be avoided by Mr Parker</strong>’ (§40). </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>The Appellant laid much emphasis on the fact that there was no positive or direct evidence of affirmation from Mr Parker. However, Mrs Justice Dias observed that a contract can be affirmed by conduct as much as by express words and statements and may even be deemed to have been affirmed by lapse of time: <em>Chitty (op.cit.) </em>para. 10-148 (§41).</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Mr Parker brought his claim to recover the credit hire charges in express reliance upon the contract with Spectra, opposed the application for non-party disclosure before the Recorder and continued to maintain his opposition to the application on the basis argued by his counsel that avoidance was not a realistic possibility. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Against that background, Mrs Justice Dias could not see any basis for suggesting that Mr Parker might seek to avoid the contract with Spectra in the future, having chosen not to do so hitherto (§43).</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>However, <strong>even assuming a real prospect that the contract is capable of being avoided in principle, it is necessary to ask the question as to whether it is a course of action even theoretically open to a claimant if restitution can no longer be made</strong>.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>In Mr Parker’s case, the hire agreement was a contract for services which had been fully performed. Mrs Justice Dias observed that Mr Parker had the benefit and use of the car for nearly one year and that in those circumstances, it was difficult to see how he could make restitution in respect of those services received: ‘In this respect, a contract for services is very different from, for example, a contract for the sale of goods where the goods themselves can be returned, even if it might be necessary to make some allowance for depreciation. Although there are indications that the courts might be prepared to adopt a slightly more flexible approach to restitution than in the past, it is still the case that a fully performed contract for services cannot be rescinded: <em>Chitty (op.cit)</em> paragraphs 10-139 to 10-140 (§45).</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>‘This, it seems to me, is an insuperable obstacle to avoidance of the contract which exists independently of any misrepresentation or affirmation. It follows that even if the application were granted and even if the disclosure fully supported a case of misrepresentation, Skyfire would be unable to establish any circumstances in which Mr Parker would be relieved of his liability under the contract with Spectra’ (§46).  </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>In Mrs Justice Dias’ judgment, for these reasons, the Recorder was entirely correct to conclude that disclosure would serve no useful purpose and as such that it could not be regarded as necessary for the fair disposal of the claim (§47). </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Mrs Justice Dias was at pains to stress that there must always be a fact-specific assessment and that ‘<strong>it is not possible to lay down any general rules</strong>’ (§29): ‘Again, I stress that this is a fact-specific finding which depends on the circumstances of the particular case. Other cases may present factual situations where rescission is not barred on the facts and where there are no compelling grounds for saying that the contract had been affirmed but that is not the case here’ (§48).</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Proportionality</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As regards proportionality, Mrs Justice Dias agreed with the Recorder that ‘it would not be disproportionate or unreasonable for Skyfire to be ordered to give disclosure if it was otherwise appropriate’, observing that she would not have refused the application on this ground alone (§50).  </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Delay</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>‘The question of whether the application should be refused on grounds of delay is a paradigm example of a case management decision falling within the ambit of the Recorder's discretion’ (§57). </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Postscript</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As regards the practice of “Google-spoofing”, Mrs Justice Dias said, <em>obiter</em>, that whilst she could readily understand the desire of insurance companies to challenge such practices, ‘if there is anything objectionable in it, it may well be that this can only be addressed by Parliament, the FCA or one of the other industry regulators’ (§61).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The full judgment can be found <a href="https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/KB/2024/1060.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here.</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The British Association of Brain injury and Complex Case Management (BABICM) is the leading membership organisation for professionals working in brain injury and complex case management.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On April 25th, the BABICM is hosting a conference in London, drawing specifically on case management experiences of the 'care crisis'.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Andrew will be speaking on “Advocating For Future Care: Insights for Case Managers Influencing the Care Crisis within the Legal Framework”.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For further information on this event, please see the BABICM website, <a href="https://babicm.glueup.com/event/optimising-care-case-management-in-an-evolving-landscape-97726/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Facts</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>The claimant and first defendant are partners. Together, they have five children between the ages of six and 23.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>The claimant was a passenger whilst being driven by the first defendant. The first defendant crashed the car.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>The claimant suffered a traumatic brain injury.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>The claimant filed a claim against the first defendant on 25 October 2023.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>The claimant lacks capacity to conduct proceedings. The claimant’s litigation friend is the first defendant’s mother, HXS. The claimant has lived with HXS since she was 14 years old. HXS has acted as the litigation friend since 3 September 2023.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>On 6 June 2023, the second defendant, an insurer, made a voluntary interim payment of £100,000 to the claimant.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>On 20 December 2023, HHJ Siddique approved the interim payment in order that the payment may be used for rehabilitation or injury related purposes. He further ordered that the claimant apply to the Court for the appointment of a Professional Deputy by 12 January 2024.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>At the date of the hearing, on 11 March 2024, an application had still not been made. HXS failed to provide the relevant documents to the claimant’s solicitors to enable an application to be made. HXS did, however, bring the required documentation to the hearing.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Because a deputy had not been appointed, the claimant had been unable to utilise the interim payment to acquire a suitable property to live in.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>The claimant was opposed to the making of an application of a deputy because she was distrustful of those outside the family.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Issue</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>11. Whether the Court should appoint an alternative litigation friend. Absent suitable alternatives, the only appropriate candidate was the Official Solicitor. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Law</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true,"start":12} --> <ol start="12"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Farbey J considered the legal framework.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>CPR 21.2(1) stipulates that a litigation friend may act as litigation friend if they can fairly and competently conduct proceedings on behalf of the protected party and have no interest adverse to that of the protected party.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>The White Book commentary indicates at 21.4.1, that a (prospective) litigation friend having an interest in the litigation is not fatal to their acting as such so long as their interest is not adverse to the interests of the protected party.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>CPR 21.7 stipulates that the court may terminate and appoint litigation friends.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Decision</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true,"start":16} --> <ol start="16"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Farbey J considered that the following factors weighed in favour of appointing an alternative litigation friend to HXS:<!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>HXS lacked insight into the need for a professional deputy; and</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>HHJ Siddique’s order had been breached in part because HXS failed to supply relevant This suggests HXS may not be able to competently conduct the litigation.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true,"start":17} --> <ol start="17"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Farbey J considered that the following factors weighed in favour of permitting HXS to remain litigation friend:<!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>HXS had now supplied the relevant documentation so that the claimant’s solicitors could apply for the appointment of a professional deputy;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>There was no evidence HXS could not safeguard the claimant’s interests despite being the defendant’s mother;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>HXS would likely be better able to facilitate the claimant’s engagement with the litigation process than an Official Solicitor.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true,"start":18} --> <ol start="18"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>On balance, Farbey J concluded that HXS should be given one final chance to remain litigation friend. If an application for a professional deputy was not made within 14 days (or some other reasonable period as agreed by counsel), then the Official Solicitor was to replace HXS as the litigation friend.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Comment</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true,"start":19} --> <ol start="19"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>For those considering whether a given individual would make for a suitable litigation friend, the analysis should focus on the specific circumstances of the case and not merely the existence of a connection between litigation friend and defendant. Here, even in the face of the ongoing breach of a Court Order, Farbey J took a pragmatic approach and allowed for the litigation friend to continue to act.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list -->

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>‘A costs (Mc)cloud with a silver lining’</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The case of <em>Hadley v. Przybylo </em>[2024] EWCA Civ 250<a id="_ftnref1" href="#_ftn1">[1]</a> arose out of a road traffic accident in which the claimant suffered catastrophic injuries.  At a cost budgeting hearing before Master McCloud, the parties were ordered to engage in ADR in respect of the future costs.  Following ADR only one item of future costs remained in dispute – namely a figure of £68,400, claimed within the ‘Issues and Statements of Case’ phase, in respect of solicitor attendance at case management meetings with medical and other professionals, and for meetings with financial and Court of Protection deputies (said to be part of maintaining the Schedule of Loss).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In a judgment dated 22^nd June 2023<a href="#_ftn2" id="_ftnref2">[2]</a>, Master McCloud considered that she was being called upon to decide a point of principle and determined that solicitor (or fee earner) costs of attending (numerous) rehabilitation case management meetings were not in principle progressive of the litigation and that the information required could be obtained by way of an occasional letter to the relevant case manager or deputy or by obtaining documents for later disclosure.&nbsp; Accordingly, she disallowed some £52,000 worth of future costs, but gave ‘leapfrog’ permission to the claimant to appeal to the Court of Appeal.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In a single judgment dated 28^th February 2024 and to which all members of the Court contributed, it was <strong>held </strong>that the Master had been wrong to conclude that the costs of attending rehabilitation case management meetings and the like were irrecoverable in principle as costs.&nbsp; Section 51(1) of the Senior Courts Act 1981 provides for a party to recover the <em>costs of an incidental to the proceedings</em> and the case of <em>In re Gibson’s Settlement Trusts </em>[1981] Ch 179 is authority for the proposition that in order to be recoverable, costs must related to something which (i) proved of use and service in the action; (ii) was relevant to an issue; (iii) was attributable to the defendant’s conduct (i.e. that which gave rise to the cause of action in the first place).&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Therefore, the recoverability of the costs of attending rehabilitation case management meetings and the like will depend on the application of three criteria in <em>In re Gibson’s Settlement Trusts </em>(sometimes summarised as utility, relevance and attributability) and the reasonable and proportionate costs of a claimant’s costs that meet such criteria will generally be recoverable.&nbsp; The precise amount of recoverable time spent by a solicitor in respect of rehabilitation will always depend on the facts of the case.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Takeaway: </strong>Both claimants and defendants will doubtlessly regard the judgment in this case as offering something of a silver lining!&nbsp; Claimants on the basis that there is no bar to claiming the costs of attending rehabilitation meetings and defendants on the basis that ‘routine’ attendance by claimant solicitors cannot be assumed to be recoverable.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a id="_ftn1" href="#_ftnref1">[1]</a> <a href="https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2024/250.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2024/250.html</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a id="_ftn2" href="#_ftnref2">[2]</a> At [2023] EWHC 1392 (KB) see: <a href="https://www.bailii.org/cgi-bin/format.cgi?doc=/ew/cases/EWHC/KB/2023/1392.html&amp;query=(2023)+AND+(EWHC)+AND+(1392)" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.bailii.org/cgi-bin/format.cgi?doc=/ew/cases/EWHC/KB/2023/1392.html&amp;query=(2023)+AND+(EWHC)+AND+(1392)</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We are delighted to announce that Bronia Hartley has been appointed by the Lord Chancellor as a Court Examiner for a period of five years from 1 April 2024.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Court Examiners are able to take depositions where a court has ordered a witness to be examined before trial as to their oral or documentary evidence under Rule 34.8 where, for example, someone is too ill to attend the trial, or where a foreign court requests evidence from a person who resides in this jurisdiction and not in the jurisdiction of the foreign court (pursuant to the Evidence (Proceedings in Other Jurisdictions) Act 1974 and the Hague Convention).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The role is quasi-judicial in that the Court Examiner takes the evidence as a judge would and certifies the transcript of the recording as correctly reflecting the evidence given.&nbsp; Court Examiners work independently to fulfil the requirements of the role.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bronia will act as a Court Examiner alongside her day-to-day practice at the Bar.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>You can read the Ministry of Justice’s formal announcement, <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/8-court-examiners-appointed" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color">“</mark></strong> What appears at first blush to be a straightforward case often is not. Many personal injury claims arise from ‘rear end shunt no fault accidents’, and damages are often expected to be recovered where that accident was sufficient to cause injury.<br><br>Withholding of information and misleading provision of information can have serious consequences.<br><br>Last week, in a case instructed by <a href="https://dwfgroup.com/en/services/legal-services/insurance/motor">DWF</a> for <a href="https://www.aviva.co.uk/">Aviva</a>,  I was successful in having a claim dismissed and securing a finding of ‘fundamental dishonesty’.<br><br>The Claimant had been involved in two accidents in proximity and brought claims arising from both. DWF had obtained the medical reports in both cases and social media posts, which were able to be considered alongside her medical records. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Claimant had been selective in what she had disclosed to medical experts, in relation to: each accident, her injuries, and her medical history. On the special damages claim there were suspicions of ‘claims layering’ - that the CBT and physiotherapy treatment had been added with the specific purpose of increasing the value of the claim and costs.<br><br>As the Defendant did not call evidence the case was determined following robust cross examination and submissions on credibility. The Claimant's reasons for her apparent failures were many. She was a poor historian unable to explain the inconsistencies and oddities. What is outlined as expected of a genuine claimant in 'Molodi' was not present. The trial Judge did not make finding of 'claims layering' but expressed concern about the medical reports in the case. Whilst it appeared that the Claimant may have been caught up in a model operated by others the Judge found that the Claimant was dishonest. In this case there was more than exaggeration at play, although exaggeration alone can give rise to a finding of fundamental dishonesty.<br><br>Fundamental dishonesty was found with enforceable costs and the Claimant was ordered to repay an interim payment.<br><br>Thanks to <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ACoAAD7cNOYBLe-BDqnjeo_BlCJOGtKN6Re40to">Rohini Kapur</a> for her instructions and assistance. <strong><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color">”</mark></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Nicola Twine is a member of the specialist Personal Injury, Clinical Negligence, and Employment Teams at Parklane Plowden Chambers and is ranked as a Leading Junior by Chambers &amp; Partners and The Legal 500 in Employment and by The Legal 500 in Clinical Negligence. Her full profile can be accessed <a href="https://www.parklaneplowden.co.uk/barristers/nicola-twine">here</a>.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Parklane Plowden Chambers has been ranked as a Band 1 set across five practice areas and a Band 2 set across two further areas in the Chambers and Partners 2024 rankings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Chambers has been ranked as Band 1, the highest ranking a Chambers can achieve, across the Chancery; Clinical Negligence; Employment; Family: Children and Personal Injury practice areas.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Additionally, the set has been ranked as Tier 2 for both Family: Matrimonial Finance and Inquests &amp; Public Inquiries.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The individual barrister members received 65 rankings in this year’s edition across:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Chancery</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Clinical Negligence</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Costs Litigation</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Employment</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Family: Children </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Family: Matrimonial Finance </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Inquests &amp; Public Inquiries</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Motor Insurance Fraud</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Personal Injury</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Personal Injury: Industrial Disease</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Professional Negligence </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Real Estate Litigation</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In addition to his Band 1 Personal Injury ranking, <a href="https://www.parklaneplowden.co.uk/our-barristers/andrew-axon/">Andrew Axon</a> has once again retained his individual Clinical Negligence ranking of 'Star Individual'.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Parklane Plowden Chambers has been ranked as a Tier 1 set across five practice areas and a Tier 2 set across one area in The Legal 500 2024 rankings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Chambers has been named as Tier 1, the highest ranking a Chambers can achieve, across chancery, probate and tax; clinical negligence; employment; family and children law and personal injury practice areas.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Parklane Plowden is also the only set to be ranked for chancery, probate and tax and clinical negligence on the North Eastern circuit.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Additionally, the set has been ranked as Tier 2 for inquests &amp; inquiries.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The individual barrister members received 79 rankings in this year’s edition across:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Court of Protection and Community Care </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Chancery, Probate and Tax</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Clinical Negligence</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Commercial Litigation</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Employment</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Family: Children and Domestic Violence </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Family: Divorce and Financial Remedy </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Personal Injury</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Property and Construction</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Professional Negligence </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Inquests and Inquiries</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Chambers are delighted to announce that <a href="https://www.parklaneplowden.co.uk/our-barristers/bronia-hartley/">Bronia Hartley</a> has been appointed as an Assistant Coroner for Manchester West.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The role is part time and Bronia will continue to practice from Parklane Plowden Chambers where she accepts instructions in the specialist areas of personal injury and inquests.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Chambers would like to congratulate Bronia on her new appointment.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 10 years post-LAPSO seminar will be hosted at The Queens Hotel, Leeds on the 07 September 2023. The event is hosted by Parklane Plowden, ARAG, Tula Medical and Kain Knight. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Guest speakers include <a href="https://www.parklaneplowden.co.uk/our-barristers/megan-crowther/">Megan Crowther </a>- Clinical Negligence Barrister, Vinod Kathuria - Orthopaedic Surgeon and Managing Director at Tula Medical, Colin Campbell - Retired Costs Judge, Kain Knight, and Mike Knight - UK Sales Manager, ARAG. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>You can sign up to the event <a href="https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=5zv7j6eDP0alQ67bJoOxrlO4XIv77ttPln9aShDWZrhUN1pJRDNORDlBRlE4Q0xESVdVTEM2QVJQUi4u">here</a>. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->