Personal injury work with a particular interest in industrial disease, medical negligence and serious brain and spinal injury.
Landmark cases include:
THOMPSTONE .v.TAMESIDE and GLOSSOP ACUTE SERVICES NHS TRUST (Judgment 23rd November 2006)
This is the first case in which a Court has determined whether an index other than RPI should be used to increase periodical payments. Having heard extensive evidence on the issue the Court held that it was appropriate to use a measure other than RPI to increase periodical payments for future care costs.
MINERS’ RESPIRATORY DISEASE GROUP LITIGATION
Instructed as Leading Counsel for the Claimants. Judgment January 1998 after longest personal injury trial on record. Claimants successful in establishing liability and causation against British Coal. Continues to represent the Claimants in the negotiation and implementation of a handling agreement. Number of Claimants presently exceeds 225,000.
FAIRCHILD v GLENHAVEN FUNERAL SERVICES LTD 2003 1AC 32.
Counsel for Claimants at trial, in the Court of Appeal and House of Lords in the leading case on causation for asbestos induced injury:
Claimants ultimately successful in establishing a new test for causation enabling many thousands of esothelioma and lung cancer victims to recover damages.
MARGERESON and HANCOCK v. J.W. ROBERTS LTD 1996 PIQR P.358
Environmental asbestos action. Instructed on behalf of Claimants.
Judgment October 1995. Court of Appeal March 1996. Claimants
successful in establishing liability against operators of asbestos
processing factory for injury to persons living near the factory.
BRITISH GAS VIBRATION WHITE FINGER LITIGATION
Instructed as Leading Counsel for the Claimants claiming damages for injury caused by exposure to vibration. Judgment April 1998. Claimants successful in establishing liability of British Gas and recovered record damages.
JEROMSON AND DAWSON v. SHELL TANKERS (UK). 2001 PIQR P.265.
Leading Counsel for Claimants in claim on behalf of ships’ engineers contracting mesothelioma:
Claimants successful in establishing liability at trial and in the Court of Appeal. Important decision on date of knowledge for asbestos induced injury.
KNOX & OTHERS v. CAMMEL LAIRD SHIPBUILDERS LTD
Junior Counsel in welders lung respiratory disease cases The Claimants were successful in establishing liability and causation leading to the settlement of many similar cases.
Medical Negligence:
Instructed as Leading Counsel for Claimants in many cases of medical negligence resulting in serious injury or death. A number of cases of cerebral palsy have resulted in multi million pound awards and has often advised on the merits of structured settlements.
Claimants suffering severe brain or spinal injury:
Instructed as Junior and Leading Counsel in many such cases, particularly for victims of road traffic accidents or accidents at work. Claims have involved many different types of brain injury. Spinal injury cases have involved tetraplegics, including ventilator dependent Claimants, and paraplegics. |
