Readers should rest assured that Obiter had a mole in place at the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers' annual shindig in Brighton last week, lest any gossip or amusing events went unreported.


As usual, the event did not disappoint. Obiter did not miss the irony of the misfortune that struck one particular session, entitled 'Exaggeration, malingering and fraud', all about less-than-honest claims. Sadly, it is not only personal injury claimants who can't always be trusted - so, it seems, were the opportunists who chose to dishonestly appropriate the two laptops containing the speakers' presentations on dishonesty just before the talk began. Obiter is glad to report that, after a short delay, the speakers rallied themselves to press on with the presentation - leaving security to scrutinise the CCTV evidence. Obiter will let readers know if anyone is brought to justice.



Delegates proceeded to party with gusto at the evening bash, with plenty of lawyer-dancing and karaoke crooning. Imagine then the foul language that must have been heard in bedrooms throughout the hotel as the fire alarm sang out like a joyful cockerel at 7am. Now, dealing as they are on a day-to-day basis with the consequences of injury to the person, surely the APIL lawyers would be the first to rush out to the safety of the hotel's grounds in the event of such a (possible) emergency? Not quite. Obiter gathers not a single one actually decided to vacate the building.



It's all about assessing risk, you see.