Summary of Recent Cases, January 2020
15/01/20. Here is a summary of the recent notable court cases over the past month. You can also receive these for free by registering for our PI Brief Update newsletter. Just select "Free Newsletter" from the menu at the top of this page and fill in your email address.
Summary of Recent Cases - Substantive Law
GXG v S, QBD (Judge Yelton) 17/12/2019
The Claimant had been sexually assaulted by the Defendant when he was a child. The Defendant pleaded guilty to offences under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, and was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment. The Claimant subsequently brought civil proceedings for damages against the Defendant.
The Court found that the Defendant was liable to the Claimant and proceeded to assess quantum. Judge Yelton observed that there is no scientific way to arrive at the correct figure. The correct approach for assessing the appropriate level of general damages is for the court to consider the effect of the abuse on the Claimant, and the aggravating features. Judge Yelton found that the Claimant had been degraded by the Defendant and had been subjected to an unpleasant pattern of abuse. The medical evidence showed that the abuse had serious consequences for the Claimant, affecting his relationships and resulting in alcohol abuse and cannabis dependency. Considering all the factors, the appropriate amount was £65,000...
The Claimant also made a claim for the loss of his...
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