In June 2016, Ian Denham, the head of Chambers’ Travel law team, was invited chair the Pan European Organisation of Personal Injury Lawyers (PEOPIL) RTA & Whiplash Conference in Bari in Southern Italy.
The conference was attended by leading lawyers from across Europe and the United States.
Together with Gerben Janson and Giula Oberto, lawyers from the Rotterdam and Turin respectively, Ian provided a seminar comparing how the laws of England, Italy and the Netherlands compare and contrast in respect of future loss calculations.
Ian is a committee member of the PEOPIL Young Lawyers Group and Secretary to the PEOPIL RTA & Whiplash EEG.
Below is a copy of Ian’s review of the Conference for the latest PEOPIL New Bulletin.
“The charming port of Bari in southern Italy hosted the delegates of the PEOPIL RTA and Whiplash EEG.
On a balmy Thursday evening, the delegates convened at the rooftop terrace of the Palace Hotel for a drinks reception that was kindly sponsored by Legal Abroad and Bona Oliva & Associati.
The conference opened the next day with a short welcome from the Chairperson, Ian Denham, and then the first presentation began. The first to speak was Antoinette Collignon who gave a very informative and interactive presentation on recent case-law, including Lazar v Allianz.
To follow came a presentation from Wolfgang Frese on ‘Liability for Trailers: The Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them’. Special mention must go to Wolfgang for his dry wit and his extensive use of videos exhibiting the dangers posed by trailers and caravans!
After a brief break, the Conference reconvened for masterclass by Marco Bona on how to obtain and present foreign evidence. This sparked an intense discussion between delegates as to how approaches varied across Europe.
After a very civilised luncheon on the roof terrace, the afternoon sessions commenced with a fascinating presentation by Dr Andrea De Nicolò on Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome. This was followed by a brief and insightful talk by Fred Halstöm on what the life may be like in a world of driverless vehicles.
The day concluded with a comparative case study focusing on future loss calculations in England, Italy and the Netherlands. The contributors were Giula Oberto, Gerben Janson and Ian Denham, who highlighted the contrasting approaches to valuing claims in each country.
That concluded the presentations for the day and following the RTA & Whiplash EEG Group Meeting, the delegates reconvened in a local restaurant for a gastronomic treat of local delicacies. The food and wine was superb, and the number of courses consumed still remains a mystery!
The following day involved a day of sightseeing, which included a visit to Castel Monte, the former residence of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, a long lunch and wine tasting at Torrevento and a stroll around the ancient port of Trani.
Special thanks must go to Marco Bona and Giula Oberto for arranging a memorable conference and ensuring everyone was (very) well fed and watered. Thanks must also go to Wolfgang Resch, Katherine Allen and Ian Denham who together all contributed to the success of the event.
Thanks also to all of the speakers, without whom the conference would not have happened, and to our sponsors Legal Abroad and Bona Oliva & Associati.