Compensation lawyers have welcomed news that children and protected parties in medical negligence and personal injury cases are to be automatically granted anonymity.

After a landmark Court of Appeal ruling, claimants’ details will now remain private unless there is a significant reason for the court to do otherwise.

Substantial compensation is common in cases involving children and vulnerable people and can amount to millions of pounds. Claimants in high profile cases may therefore be targeted and harassed if their details are published.

Anthony McCarthy, Director Solicitor at Macks, said: “This welcome news will give peace of mind to the most vulnerable accident victims in the claims process.”

The ruling seeks to solve an issue in the open court system without threatening transparency in proceedings. It also highlights the conflict between public interest and a claimant’s right to privacy. The court concluded, however, that the names and addresses of claimants and their families are not crucial to the public interest.

Before the change, a claimant would have to apply for anonymity, often needing a significant reason for it to be successfully granted. Copies of the application would then have to be supplied to the press to prevent details of their identity being published.

If you are the victim of medical negligence or wish to begin a personal injury claim you can contact one of our lawyers on 01642 252 828. Macks’ Solicitors in Middlesbrough specialise in personal injury and medical negligence claims, and have a dedicated and experienced team to handle your claim. You can also call in to one of our offices in Middlesbrough, Darlington or Redcar, to speak to a personal injury or medical negligence solicitor.