Terms of business


TERMS AND CONDITIONS: MEDICOLEGAL PRACTICE DR DARREN BOONE MBBS BSC MD MRCS FRCR
Detailed below are the terms and conditions that apply to all work undertaken unless otherwise agreed in writing. ‘Contract’ means the contract between Dr Darren Boone and the Client (instructing solicitor, company or agent) to which these terms apply.

SERVICES
Dr Darren Boone will perform the activities that have been mutually agreed between Dr Darren Boone and the Client (the “Services”) with all due skill and care.


FEES

  1. In consideration of the provision of services as expert witness under the Appointment, the hourly rate is £250. Time will be charged in units of 0.1 of an hour. The daily rate assumes a working day of 8 hours (including travel).
  2. All rates quoted are exclusive of VAT and subject to review annually.
  3. The Schedule contains an estimate of fees to cover the initial work. Dr Boone will keep these under review and advise you or your Client as promptly as possible if likely they will be exceeded). The Schedule also includes details of fees for Court appearances, Conferences with Counsel and Client meetings (if or to the extent they differ from the quoted rate).
  4. Dr Boone will charge all time spent in connection with this Appointment, including but not limited to, all investigations, preparing reports, and telephone or written attendance on your Client and/or Instructing Solicitors. Travel time from hospital/office will be charged.
    GB Diagnostic Ltd
    Clinical, Medicolegal and Research Radiology
    New Town House
    2 Winnock Road, Colchester, Essex
    CO1 2BE
    www.gbdiagnostic.com
    info@gbdiagnostic.com
    07742030205
    GB Diagnostic Limited is a private limited company registered in England and Wales, number 9237664, Registered Office: The Lodge, Beacon End Farmhouse, London Road, Stanway,
    Colchester, Essex, CO3 0NQ. A list of registered members is available at the Registered Office
  5. Dr Boone will keep a note of the time spent on this matter on an hourly basis of £250. Time will be charged in units of 0.1 of an hour and a record will be submitted with invoices.
  6. All disbursements will be reimbursed. Disbursements will include travel, photocopying, and reasonable accommodation and subsistence costs (as required). Any travel will only be within the United Kingdom; rail and plane travel will be standard class and car mileage charged according to the Inland Revenue standard rates. Dr Boone will provide your Client with receipted invoices in respect of all disbursements claimed.
  7. Dr Boone will invoice upon delivery of his report (subject to clause 8 in respect of matters funded by Legal Aid). Interest on late payment will be incurred beyond 30 days. Late payment is set at 8% above the “reference rate” covering the sixth month period in which the debt becomes late. The “reference rate” for 1st January to 30th June is the Bank of England’s base rate on 31st December and, for 1st July to 31st December, it is the base rate on 30th June.
  8. Invoices will be addressed to your Client but sent to your offices. You will arrange for these to be paid promptly. If you have any reason to believe your Client or other paying party may be unable to pay any fees or other sums due you will notify Dr Boone immediately. If the fees are funded by the Legal Aid Board or other third party you will advise Dr Boone before the Appointment is confirmed and you will ensure all invoices are promptly forwarded and settlement made within 30 days of the date of the invoice.
  9. Where Dr Boone is instructed as a Single Joint Expert by the solicitors of both parties, both firms of Instructing Solicitors will be jointly and severally liable for the fees and disbursements. Where Dr Boone is instructed by an Agency which has itself been instructed by solicitors, both the Agency and its Instructing Solicitors will be jointly and severally liable for payment of the fees and disbursements.
  10. If any payment due to Dr Boone under the terms of the Appointment is not paid by the due date for payment (the “Due Date”), interest shall accrue on the overdue amount at the statutory rate. Such interest shall accrue on a daily basis from the Due Date until the date of actual payment, whether before or after judgment.
    COURT APPEARANCES
  11. Dr Boone is obliged to give a minimum of 6 weeks’ notice to his NHS Hospital Trust for leave of absence. This is because out-patient clinics, scanning lists and interventions are normally booked well in advance. Time is therefore needed to either cancel or rebook large numbers of patients’ appointments. Once a date has been booked as leave for court attendance, it is not usually possible for Dr Boone to re-instate either NHS or private work with less than 6 weeks’ notice. Dr Boone will therefore work to the following schedule:
    In the event of any court appearance being cancelled, for whatever reason, the full fee shall be paid unless notification is received 7 days in advance. A cancellation charge of half the court fee per day booked will be paid where notification of cancellation is received with between 8 and 21 days’ notice, and 20% of the court fee per day booked will be paid if notification is received between 22 and 42 days in advance. In respect of notification received in advance of 43 days, all charges will be waived.
    GB Diagnostic Limited is a private limited company registered in England and Wales, number 9237664, Registered Office: The Lodge, Beacon End Farmhouse, London Road, Stanway,
    Colchester, Essex, CO3 0NQ. A list of registered members is available at the Registered Office
  12. Dr Boone’s rate is £2000 per day or part thereof, plus travel, accommodation & sundry expenses. The costs of travel or overnight accommodation will be charged at agreed rates. Any travel will only be within the United Kingdom; rail and plane travel will be standard class and car mileage charged according to the Inland Revenue standard rates. Dr Boone will provide your Client with receipted invoices in respect of all disbursements claimed.
  13. No charges will be payable in respect of a consultation or appointment with Instructing Solicitors and/or your Client where at least 48 hours’ notice of cancellation is given. If the consultation or appointment is cancelled less than 48 hours in advance, an administrative fee of £250 will be levied.
  14. If your Client and/or Instructing Solicitors fail(s) to attend a consultation or appointment without notice, your Client shall pay on demand the sum of £250 by way of liquidated damages. The parties confirm that this sum represents a genuine pre-estimate of the loss of earnings that Dr Boone would suffer in the event that your Client and/or Instructing Solicitors fail (s) to attend a consultation or appointment without notice.
    INSTRUCTING SOLICITORS’ OBLIGATIONS
    Instructing Solicitors:
  15. are responsible for giving adequate instructions, and obtaining all relevant notes, records and investigations, and shall check that all relevant matters are addressed in the reports.
  16. shall:
  17. provide Dr Boone with, or procure the provision of, all information which might reasonably be expected to be relevant in enabling him to fulfil responsibilities under this Appointment (“Information”) as and when it becomes available to your Client and/or to Instructing Solicitors;
  18. ensure that the Information provided or prepared by your Client or on your Client’s behalf is complete and accurate in all material aspects and not misleading and is updated as necessary (informing Dr Boone immediately if your Client discovers or has reason to believe that any of the Information is, or becomes, untrue, incomplete, misleading or inaccurate in any material respect). Instructing Solicitors acknowledge that Dr Boone will, and is entitled to, rely upon all Information provided to him, that he will not be responsible for the accuracy or verification of any Information and that his report will be provided only on the basis of the Information disclosed by you.
  19. confirm that Dr Boone’s charges are no higher than reasonably necessary for the purpose of litigation bearing in mind his professional expertise and where necessary, that prior approval has been obtained from the Legal Aid Board or any other third party pay or in respect of his charges.
  20. agree to comply with and to take all reasonable steps to assist Dr Boone in complying with the Protocol and the Civil Procedures Rules referred to in Clause 3.
    GB Diagnostic Limited is a private limited company registered in England and Wales, number 9237664, Registered Office: The Lodge, Beacon End Farmhouse, London Road, Stanway,
    Colchester, Essex, CO3 0NQ. A list of registered members is available at the Registered Office
    DUTIES TO THE COURT
    Dr Boone confirms that he has read and will comply with the Official Experts Protocol published by the Civil Justice Council (the “Protocol”) and Part 35 of the Civil Procedure Rules. In particular he understands that, although he owes a duty of care to your Client and Instructing Solicitors to exercise reasonable skill and care in carrying out their instructions, his primary duty as an expert witness is to provide independent and unbiased evidence to the Court.

  21. LIABILITY
    Dr Boone’s total liability for professional negligence (excluding any liability for fraud or wilful misconduct) under or in connection with this Appointment shall not exceed £7500.
    INSURANCE

  22. Dr Boone confirms that he holds professional indemnity insurance in respect of the Appointment with Medical Defence Union.

  23. RIGHT TO TERMINATE
    The Appointment is subject to receipt of all necessary and relevant information from you in sufficient time to prepare a response and payment of monthly invoices as they fall due. Dr Boone will advise you promptly if:
  24. Instructions are not acceptable because, for example, they require work that falls outside his expertise, impose unrealistic deadlines, or are insufficiently clear;
  25. He considers that instructions are or have become insufficient to complete the work;
  26. He becomes aware that he may not be able to fulfil any of the terms of Appointment; or
  27. He is not satisfied that he can comply with any orders that have been made.
    This retainer may be terminated by Instructing Solicitors or your Client at any time by written notice subject to discussion in accordance with the Protocol. Where Dr Boone is instructed jointly termination will be effective when he has received written notice from all instructing parties. Termination will not affect Dr Boone’s entitlement to payment of any fees for work conducted or invoiced before the date of the termination. Upon termination, all documents and materials provided to Dr Boone for the purpose of this Appointment must be returned promptly to Instructing Solicitors save for one copy that he may retain for his records.
    GB Diagnostic Limited is a private limited company registered in England and Wales, number 9237664, Registered Office: The Lodge, Beacon End Farmhouse, London Road, Stanway,
    Colchester, Essex, CO3 0NQ. A list of registered members is available at the Registered Office

  28. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
    Dr Boone will own the copyright in all reports and/or materials produced by him. Subject to receipt of all payments due your Client is authorised to use the same for the purposes of the matters contained in the Schedule.

  29. CONFIDENTIALITY
    Dr Boone will treat all information, facts, matters, documents and all other materials of a confidential nature which he receives or creates as a result of this Appointment as confidential, (except insofar as I have to refer to them when setting out the substance of my instructions in your report or as required by law).
    RESPONSIBILITY
    Dr Boone confirms that the work which is carried out in relation to this retainer will be his own and will not be delegated or sub-contracted to someone else.
    CONFLICT
    You have notified Dr Boone in writing of all parties who have some limited involvement in this matter including Counsel and solicitors and other experts already instructed in this case. Dr Boone confirms that he does not have an actual or potential conflict of interest in accepting this Appointment in respect of any parties so named and that he will let you know without delay if he becomes aware of such a conflict.
    JOINT INSTRUCTIONS
    In circumstances where Dr Boone is jointly instructed by Instructing Solicitors, both sets of Instructing Solicitors must sign and return a copy of this letter and completed schedule within seven days and ensure it is copied to all Instructing Solicitors. It is for Instructing Solicitors to resolve any disagreements the parties may have in relation to instructions or to clearly identify areas of disagreement in the Schedule. Instructing Solicitors should note that Paragraph 17 of the Protocol will apply.
    GOVERNING LAW

  30. This Appointment is subject to English law and the parties hereto submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.
    GB Diagnostic Limited is a private limited company registered in England and Wales, number 9237664, Registered Office: The Lodge, Beacon End Farmhouse, London Road, Stanway,
    Colchester, Essex, CO3 0NQ. A list of registered members is available at the Registered Office
    FORCE MAJEURE
    Dr Boone will not be liable for any delay in the performance of any obligations under this Appointment (and the time for the performance of any obligations under this Appointment shall be extended accordingly) if such delay arises from or is attributable to acts, events, omissions or accidents beyond his reasonable control including but not restricted to, ill health, acts of God or of the public enemy, fires, floods, epidemics, riots, quarantine restrictions, strikes, freight embargoes, earthquakes, electrical outages, computer or communications failures, severe weather, and acts or omissions of subcontractors or third parties.
    These terms are subject to change. We therefore suggest that you request a copy of our current terms on all future instructions.
    We would be grateful if you would complete and return the slip below to info@gbdiagnostic.com
    ACCEPTANCE OF TERMS
    Solicitors:
    Re:
    Ref:
    I agree to the above Terms and Conditions: Signed: ………………………………. Date: ………………………………..