A flawed approach?

Viewing only pieces?

The case of King v Medical Services International Ltd [2012] All ER (D) 27 (Apr) (not yet on Bailii) is a good example of how difficult it is for claimants to jump all the hurdles which exist in psychiatric injury cases; and of how a course of conduct is still being viewed on an incident by incident basis and not as a whole.

The claimant was an executive manager in the defendant’s hospital. She had no previous psychiatric history but in August 2006, suffered a mental breakdown which she ascribed to harassment and bullying at work by one of her colleagues.

She described a pattern of behaviour supported by some 45 incidents over about 3½ years which amounted to ‘over-familiarity, innuendo and inappropriate physical conduct; use of intemperate and aggressive language; personal and professional humiliation; disrespectful, intimidating, pedantic and undermining behaviour; veiled threats and blackmail.’