The JSB Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages 10th Ed

BOOK REVIEW


THE JUDICIAL STUDIES BOARD: GUIDELINES FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF GENERAL DAMAGES IN PERSONAL INJURY CASES

10th EDITION

Compiled by Mr Justice Mackay, Martin Bruffell, John Cherry QC, Alan Hughes and Michael Tillett QC

ISBN: 978-0-19-959533-4

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

www.oup.com



ONCE MORE UNTO THE QUANTUM-
FOR THE TENTH TIME!
THE JSB GUIDELINES UPDATED FOR INFLATION

An appreciation by Phillip Taylor MBE and Elizabeth Taylor of Richmond Green Chambers

When this excellent work first appeared in 1992, Lord Donaldson wrote that there could be no doubt about the practical value of this slim volume… and how right he was as we now celebrate the tenth edition which has been updated to take account of inflation and judicial decisions.

The guidelines have become essential for practitioners and now we would not dream of advising on a personal injury matter without referring to the JSB Guidelines first as we will certainly see this book in court each time we argue quantum and be expected to know its worth to the bench.

The guidelines are always well received, and they have a clear and well received influence on the judiciary, too, today. The hard work of Colin Mackay and his team explains the current need for this book as a record of the levels of awards and settlements which we use as a starting point for our advocacy in court

Updates are always difficult but we believe the team continues to maintain the level of consistency needed for the making of awards which serve the interests of justice as well as any person can. Lord Neuberger MR, in his Foreword, welcomes the work as ‘ever more authoritative’. He also rightly highlights its usefulness from the comments the book’s readers have made together with all the different areas where reports are to be found which does make the working party’s job so difficult.

This is not, however, a ‘ready reckoner’ but, as Mackay has said, it distils the conventional wisdom contained in the reported cases, and supplements it from the collective experience of his working party, presenting the result in a convenient, logical and coherent form.

The work is now widely and more frequently adopted as the starting point in negotiating levels of payment for general damages in personal injury cases. Contents cover the following: Injuries Involving Paralysis; Head Injuries; Psychiatric Damage; Injuries Affecting the Senses; Injuries to Internal Organs; Orthopaedic Injuries; Facial Injuries; Scarring to Other Parts of the Body; Damage to Hair; Dermatitis and a useful index.

The publishers send copies of these guidelines to all hearing PI cases, and it is an indispensible tool for all legal professionals involved in PI litigation, from lawyers to insurance companies, trades unions and medical defence organisations.

Today, we cannot be without our copy of the JSB guidelines for quantum advocacy, and we know the clients appreciate the user-friendly wisdom they give- just make sure you have the red cover and not the grey cover for 2010! Thank you, OUP.

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4. Added :17-Oct-10
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