The council is pursuing an insurance claim for damages after two of the reef's sand-filled bags were struck by a boat propeller in May 2011.

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Worse still, an American appeals court ruled last month that clients who sold art at Christie's or Sotheby's outside America can claim damages for price-fixing in the American courts.

ECONOMIST: No end to Christie's and Sotheby's woes

Mr Justice McCloskey's written judgment discloses that one of the remedies being sought is a claim for damages against Facebook Ireland Ltd.

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Professor Anthony Seaton, who has cared for patients with asbestos-related conditions, previously told MSPs the legislation would allow the "worried well" to claim for damages.

BBC: Asbestos compensation law passed

He said Mr Cook had left the SQA last year and a claim for damages was later made in respect of PTSD suffered in employment.

BBC: Tayside and Central Scotland

But the High Court also said there was no claim for damages as an earlier "pre-tariff hearing" made it clear there was no chance of him being released.

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If that claim were successful, then you would be entitled to damages against the state for your loss of your pension rights in theory.

BBC

And a separate bill, the Crime and Courts Bill, will have amendments ensuring that newspapers who refused to join the new regulatory regime would be potentially liable for exemplary damages if a claim was upheld against them.

BBC: Press regulation deal struck by parties

This would ensure that newspapers who refuse to join the new regulatory regime will be liable - potentially - for exemplary damages if a claim is upheld against them.

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Mohammed Ayub, of Chambers solicitors, Bradford, who was acting for AE, described the ruling as a landmark decision and a "very important step in AE's claim for damages".

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Irwin Mitchell said the council had now agreed to pay her a five-figure sum in settlement of her claim for damages for her pain and suffering, loss of earnings and ongoing psychotherapy.

BBC: Collette Elliot

Those are the facts necessary to satisfy the elements of a claim for, say, breach of contract: promise, consideration, failure to perform, causation and damages, or the requirements of an affirmative defense: impossibility of performance, for instance.

FORBES: Relevance and Strategy