Fraudulent road traffic claims

Top ten dodgy venues are Birmingham,Bradford,Manchester,Liverpool,,Bolton,Blackburn,Southall,Oldham  and London (east and north).
The 'Daily Telegraph' published an interesting letter on saturday may 7th in the motor supplement suggesting that insurers were as corrupt as some claimants.High repair rates are claimed but the bodyshop is then to give the insurer a massive kickback.This is funded by inflating repair charges in liability cases.To maximise credit -hire,the vehicle is whisked away asap .Car manufacturers are getting in on the act by doing deals with credit hire companies and threatening to remove approved status from bodyshops if they fail to refer non-fault cases.If any of this is true we are looking at anti-competitive and corrupt activity.

The I Phone

I switched after someone blew up my blackberry last summer.
There are 4 very useful apps to consider.Free are Photosynth which enables you to take panoramic pictures and find i phone,to enable you to track it if lost.
 Should you travel regularly buy train times which is amazing and tells you what platform a train goes from and if it is delayed.It costs a fiver but is priceless.If you want free train times for all Europe including here then get the DB app (the German rail company).Tube exits is again marvellous for London underground planning.

Damages

New Ogden tables are coming.They are likely to recognise increased life expectancy and under consideration is a range of discount rates in increments of .25% rather than .5% as now.
The consultation paper on the discount rate is complete ;we are awaiting publication.
I understand that the Goodale litigation,brought by prisoners against the MOJ, has just settled.The MOJ were funding both sides of the litigation,an interesting economic exercise.

Paris

The Ralph Lauren car collection is a masterpiece and one should go see them if in Paris before the end of august.i know nothing technical about cars.The RAC breakdown man told me i was the first person ever to call him out for help in changing a tax disc.A magnificent spectacle.
 AA Gill in the Times Style magazine described a restaurant as expensive for a starter was a tenner.At Lassere,an asparagus starter was £58 .However,this Parisian 2 star Palace has a roof that opens up to reveal the sky above.Bonkers.
 For a treat try the  Royal Monceau hotel just revamped by Starck.The bar is beautiful and the toilets are in a hall of mirrors.

Super -Injunctions.

 The report coming from Lord Neuberger MR next month will be welcome.He is such a sensible man.
 Treachery and betrayal are terrible traits.Claimants now use the law to hide the truth,if they can afford it.
 To grant an injunction for life strikes this writer as grotesque, a word of the moment in the Court of Appeal.A recent injunction granted to a mediocre presenter was based on the prospect of his children being bullied at school, were the story to emerge.Hiding behind the children does not look noble.Nor did his conduct.
Self -loathing or self deception,i wonder which is worse?
Footballers are the new primitives.Why cant they be like Ryan Giggs or Alan Shearer,uttterly decent types?

Chancery litigation

Such has been the success of the Birmingham costs pilot in Mercantile and construction that i now believe we may see a similar scheme applied in Chancery ,with leeds or Manchester being the likely venues .

Consulting

Every day last week i received an enquiry from a law firm asking if i would go in and speak to the partners on where we are going in litigation,something i am delighted to do.Very big changes ,some yet to be announced,are coming.