What is a Section 278 Agreement?

A Section 278 Agreement is a legal agreement between a developer and a highway authority to carry out highway works.

How Can We Help You During A Coroner’s Inquest?

Clinical Negligence specialist Elizabeth Larner explains the legal support available if you are faced with an inquest.

Support:

We can support you through the process, an inquest can be daunting and distressing, especially if you do not know what to expect and aren’t fully prepared. Our experienced and caring lawyers can support and advise you through the process and be there with you every step of the way.

Evidence:

It is not always apparent from the outset what the Coroner needs in order to determine the cause of death. The Coroner only knows what they know; if they aren’t aware of the existence of certain evidence or potential witnesses they may miss something really important. It our job to help you and your family find out about the truth of what has happened.

We will liaise with the Coroner’s Office and find out, from the start, what evidence will be reviewed, who will be called to provide either written and/or oral witness evidence, whether an independent medical expert or other type of expert is required and how long the inquest will last.

We will review all of the documentation provided by the Coroner in advance of a Pre-Inquest Review Hearing (PIRH) your lawyer can then identify missing documents, missing witnesses and request the input from an independent expert and the disclosure of further documents that we consider will assist the Coroner.

Sometimes, the Coroner’s Office does not list a PIRH and simply lists the inquest, this can result in the Coroner not having all of the information available at the hearing. We can write to the Coroner with submissions as to why a PIRH should be listed first so that all of the relevant evidence can be gathered.

When the Inquest is listed, we can prepare questions for the witnesses and experts who will be attending and make submissions to the Coroner regarding the appropriate verdict we think the Coroner should make

If the death was caused by the negligence of another person or employer for example, the family will likely have the opportunity to bring a Fatal Accident’s claim on behalf of the deceased’s estate. If this is the case, the inquest can be really useful in terms of fact finding for the claim.