header-logo header-logo

High & dry

07 February 2014 / Meghann McTague
Issue: 7593 / Categories: Features , Personal injury
printer mail-detail

Meghann McTague asks, when is an accident really an accident?

In Ford v Malaysian Airline Systems Berhad [2013] EWCA Civ 1163, [2013] All ER (D) 236 (Sep), Ms Ford was a passenger on an international flight from London Heathrow to Melbourne via Kuala Lumpur. She had, as a result of her previous medical history, been prone to bouts of cystitis. The extent of her previous treatment had been to purchase over the counter medication in respect of it.

While on board, the appellant realised that she was having difficulty in urinating and asked the cabin crew whether they had any bicarbonate of soda or cranberry juice. Unfortunately, neither was available; however the crew were aware that one of their first class passengers was a doctor.

Examination

The doctor agreed to examine the appellant and the appellant consented to this without further enquiry as to what the nature of the doctor’s qualifications or experience was.

The doctor suggested to the appellant that she have an injection of a diuretic to enable her to urinate. The appellant

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

FOIL—Bridget Tatham

FOIL—Bridget Tatham

Forum of Insurance Lawyers elects president for 2026

Gibson Dunn—Robbie Sinclair

Gibson Dunn—Robbie Sinclair

Partner joinslabour and employment practice in London

Muckle LLP—Ella Johnson

Muckle LLP—Ella Johnson

Real estate dispute resolution team welcomes newly qualified solicitor

NEWS
Cryptocurrency is reshaping financial remedy cases, warns Robert Webster of Maguire Family Law in NLJ this week. Digital assets—concealable, volatile and hard to trace—are fuelling suspicions of hidden wealth, yet Form E still lacks a section for crypto-disclosure
NLJ columnist Stephen Gold surveys a flurry of procedural reforms in his latest 'Civil way' column
Paper cyber-incident plans are useless once ransomware strikes, argues Jack Morris of Epiq in NLJ this week
In this week's NLJ, Robert Hargreaves and Lily Johnston of York St John University examine the Employment Rights Bill 2024–25, which abolishes the two-year qualifying period for unfair-dismissal claims
Writing in NLJ this week, Manvir Kaur Grewal of Corker Binning analyses the collapse of R v Óg Ó hAnnaidh, where a terrorism charge failed because prosecutors lacked statutory consent. The case, she argues, highlights how procedural safeguards—time limits, consent requirements and institutional checks—define lawful state power
back-to-top-scroll