French haemophiliac wins right to sue:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
A French haemophiliac who contracted HIV from contaminated blood has been granted the right to file suit against the country's blood transfusion service. The European Commission on Human Rights ruled that Daniel Bellet had been denied a fair public hearing. Mr Bellet was diagnosed with the virus in 1983 and nine years later awarded Fr 1.3 million ($260,000) from the transfusion service's indemnity fund. He was also awarded Fr 3 million by the national blood transfusion foundation, but had the latter decision overturned by the Paris Court of Appeal, which claimed he had already been fully indemnified. The Commission ruled under French law, such an award does not preclude legal action, reports Le Quotidien du Medecin.