Holmes v Poeton Holdings Limited

Abstract

IN Holmes v Poeton Holdings Ltd [2023] EWCA Civ 1377, the Court of Appeal addressed an area of law that is “bedevilled by apparent inconsistency and imprecision at the highest level” (at [30]). The case concerned Mr. Holmes, who contracted Parkinson’s disease after prolonged exposure to trichloroethylene (TCE), a toxic solvent, during his employment with Poeton Holdings Ltd. Central to the appeal was the challenge of establishing factual causation, given the multifactorial pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease. This provided a significant opportunity for the court to clarify contentious aspects of the material contribution doctrine, particularly in its application to indivisible diseases.