Professional Negligence

Health law practitioners are grappling with “snowballing awards” in claims over psychiatric injuries, according to Sparke Helmore’s new health law partner. 

A former professional footy player has taken the Australian Football League to court, claiming it is liable for alleged racial vilification and abuse by a coach in 1997, just months after the league was hit with a class action accusing it of racism and discrimination.

A former client has sued Mills Oakley and a Victorian law firm alleging they were negligent while advising on a property transaction with his parents that did not go through. 

Subcontractor Ventia Utility Services had lost its bid to recover $5.6 million in alleged overpayments to class action group members from co-defendant Western Power, after its liability was reduced on appeal in a representative proceeding over the 2014 Perth Hills bushfire.

A Melbourne law firm is facing a class action on behalf of former clients it represented in litigation over childhood sexual abuse claims.

A judge has told the law firm that has taken over a class action against Philips Electronics over recalled sleep apnea machines to take its time when amending the pleading, which he said was not the “finest piece of work” he’d ever seen.

A judge has ruled that a settlement offer made in a case can be adduced into evidence in a construction company’s suit against its former lawyers, finding that the offer was not covered by without penalty privilege.

The founders of news website Mamamia have secured access to their client file from a former HWL Ebsworth partner, who is accused of professional negligence in his handling of a dispute with the landlord of the couple’s $16 million Bellevue Hill mansion.

Financial services provider Pioneer Credit has taken auditor PwC to court, claiming $32 million in loss and damages over its advice on how the company should value its financial assets.

A group of surgeons who worked for The Cosmetic Institute have lost a second bid to declass a representative proceeding on behalf of 13,500 patients who claim they were injured by botched breast augmentation surgery.