Victims and their families have won a ruling allowing them to launch a High Court group action seeking damages over contaminated blood products.
A High Court official said it was “appropriate” to immediately issue a group litigation order allowing a potential 500 claimants – surviving victims of contamination and the families of the deceased – to join together to claim compensation.
The official, Senior Master Fontaine, made the order despite opposition from lawyers acting for the Department of Health who argued the application was “premature”.
Contaminated blood victims given leave by High Court to mount class action against Government
— Hugh Pym (@BBCHughPym) September 26, 2017
The case concerns imported blood-clotting products derived from blood plasma which caused haemophiliacs and others to be infected with HIV and hepatitis in the 1970s and 80s and has so far led to the deaths of at least 2,400 NHS patients.
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