Group Action Lawyers
Latest News & Updates

Birmingham surgeon Dr. Angamuthu Arunkalaivanan performed hundreds of the pelvic floor surgeries using a mesh implant that the Trust he worked for had banned from using.

Dr. Arunkalaivanan seemingly ignored the Trust’s instructions and carried on inserting these mesh implants into hundreds of women despite the warnings from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) of incontinence and infection, and his own Trust’s policy on their use.

Some 200 patients who have undergone pelvic floor surgeries with Dr. Arunkalaivanan have been recalled to be checked. However, pelvic floor operations are so routine that it may be many more than 200 woman affected by the surgeons actions.
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Concerns have been raised about the safety of recycled tire crumbs used in playing fields and playgrounds. Limited studies have seemingly not shown an elevated health risk from playing on fields with tire crumbs, but existing studies do not appear to comprehensively evaluate the concerns about health risks from exposure to tire crumbs.

Whenever there is a question of this nature though, we must do all we can to investigate any potential issues to avoid major problems like we have seen with materials such as asbestos over the last few decades.
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As you’re probably aware, Samsung are having a real nightmare in terms of their Galaxy Note 7 and its tenancy to suddenly set fire to itself…

In one recent incident off the back of this ongoing issue, a supposedly safe device starting ‘smoking’ at Louisville Airport when the owner tried to power off the phone on take-off at an airport. This caused a big disruption to the outbound flight and led to an evacuation.

Of course, the bigger concern is that the faulty product could have caused a serious incident had this have happened during the flight!
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Last month, Hyundai was among car manufacturers recalling vehicles, which was due to an instrument cluster defect in its 3,031 2015 Genesis Sedan models. This was picked up by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration who pressed the automaker to recall this model as soon as possible.

Vehicle recalls are very common. Usually they’re through incidental things which are discovered post-sale, but, on occasions, we see scandals like the VW emissions scandal, where we are acting for thousands of people who have essentially been the victim of a huge bout of misrepresentation.
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I know this may be a bit of an unfortunate answer, but it really does depend on the action!

But the purpose of this blog can be helpful to give you an insight in to how long a Group Action case could take, and why this may be the case.

Every Group Action is different, and with sometimes thousands of people being involved in them, it is common for Group Action cases to take some time.
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One of the first things we looked at was the technicalities behind how Volkswagen had developed intelligent software to basically know when a vehicle is being tested, and know when it’s not.

The science behind it is easy to grasp – the tests are so linear and standard that the technology knows when the car is being tested, by knowing things like steering patterns; speed; longevity of the drive; temperatures, etc.

But, whilst the parameters are easy to recognise, the technology is a pretty sophisticated piece of kit.

And that’s where Bosch comes in.
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Children’s toys and tech are expensive enough. Parents don’t need any reminders that the cost some of the latest toys and gadgets can attract, especially in peak times around Christmas.

So, although any merger situation is likely to be investigated by the CMA, to ensure competition is never adversely affected, it could be even more appropriate when it comes to pricey toys.

The CMA are looking in to the completed acquisition by VTech Holdings Limited of LeapFrog Enterprises Inc. in this case.
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Mazda are recalling 190,000 CX-7 sport vehicles after a potentially dangerous steering control problem was identified which could lead to a driver losing control of the steering function.

Water can reportedly enter the front suspension ball joint fittings which may then lead to corrosion and separation of joints, and eventually steering control loss.

The affected vehicles are said to have been manufactured between February 2006 and May 2012
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In June, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said that the anticipated acquisition of ICAP PLC by Tullett Prebon of the voice/hybrid broking business may result in a substantial lessening of competition.

The CMA said it would be referred for an in-depth phase 2 investigation unless an acceptable undertaking was offered by Tullet Prebon.

The two parties, Tullet and ICAP, both overlap in the supply of wholesale intermediary services, mainly in voice/hybrid broking services to institutions that trade financially, and commodity instruments over the counter as well as in exchange based markets.
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Disposable Paediatric ventilation circuits manufactured by Draeger Medical up to March 2016 may leak at the check valve. This puts children at risk of re-breathing exhaled gases, and has triggered MHRA intervention.

Since it has been discovered, Draeger Medical has issued a notice to all those who have, and still use, the device that requires them to identify and quarantine the affected circuits and to return them to Draeger Medical for replacement.

If the circuits have already been disposed of, Draeger Medical still needs to be informed in order to send a replacement. Draeger Medical are to be contacted to acknowledge receipt of the FSN even if you do not have the defected device in stock.

If no alternatives are available, Draeger Medical recommends carrying out a risk assessment in guidance with the FSN. All healthcare workers who use the devices are expected to carry out these actions between 17^th of August 2016 and 3rd October 2016, and a suggested distribution list can be found on the Gov.uk website.

Asbestos has affected thousands of people and damages have run in to the millions of pounds for those who have sought compensation. All in all, asbestos as a legal action has been one of the most significant in the UK, and across the world.

To this day, we are still seeing new cases and stories crop up which is a combination of a lack of knowledge about the locations of asbestos; a lack of safeguarding for buildings where asbestos has been used; and because the symptoms of asbestos related illnesses often take years to appear.

In this recent story, a family of four and two workmen in St Albans were put at risk by a Hertfordshire based home improvement company – Ace of Hearts Home Improvement Limited as they attempted to remove asbestos containing material from the domestic property improperly.
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It was discovered that when in “skin-temperature control mode” on Babytherm thermometers, if the temperature sensor is not connected to, or detaches from, the patient, the heating element can cause overheating.

This overheating can cause particles to detach, releasing hot particles. This can lead to a fire and could cause patients harm or even death.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has provided advice and warnings as a result of the findings.
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