Personal Injury
Our Personal Injury Practice Group is recognised by its client base as a leader in its field and has a full range of skills and expert knowledge in every aspect of personal injury litigation.
The practice group possesses a highly regarded capability and strength in depth from top to bottom.
We act on behalf of both claimants and defendants. Instructions are received from public bodies, private organisations and individuals, whether they are funded by institutions, trades unions, the Legal Services Commission, privately or on a conditional fee basis. We are panel counsel for several major insurers.
Our practice group also handles group actions and claims for compensation for criminal injuries.
The personal injury practice group’s members have specialist knowledge and expertise in the following:
- Head and other catastrophic injuries
- Injuries at work – upper limb disorders; respiratory, asbestos and dermatological claims; deafness; stress at work.
- Psychological and psychiatric injury
- Road Traffic Accidents
- Civil Fraud
- Credit Hire
- Occupiers’ and public liability
- Product liability
- Accidents at sea
- Holiday and Air Travel cases
- Clinical and dental negligence
- HSE work
- Infant settlements and Court of Protection
- Civil actions involving the police
- Criminal Injuries compensation
- Inquests
- Disaster litigation
We also have specialist teams in Clinical Negligence and Holiday Litigation.
We pride ourselves on our professional quality, practical approach and user friendliness. We endeavour to always be accessible to our clients and this enables us to respond promptly to formal instructions and quick queries alike.
Conditional Fee Agreement
Members of Chambers undertake work on a Conditional Fee basis. Upon acceptance of the instructions, a Conditional Fee Agreement will be drawn up. This agreement incorporates the standard terms agreed between APIL and PIBA which are available here.
Seminars
St John’s Chambers has Law Society External Continuing Professional Development Accreditation and members regularly conduct seminars and contribute to in-house training seminars. The Personal Injury Practice Group regularly conducts seminars and provides bespoke in-house training to many of our clients. To see details of forthcoming seminars please click here.
Recommendations:
Ranked at the top by both Chambers & Partners and Legal 500, St John’s Chambers Personal Injury Practice Group boasts several leaders at the Bar and has been consistently rated premier on circuit. The strength of our civil practice groups receives particular praise.
Chambers UK 2010
This wide-ranging set has experience across a broad spread of practice areas. Its personal injury capability is spearheaded by leading silk Christopher Sharp QC, who is held in high esteem by solicitors and barristers for his “thorough and effective approach to cases.” In the ranks of the juniors, Glyn Edwards is one of the best around. A senior junior “with a considerable amount of expertise and flair,” he is highly thought of by local law firms, but is already “rapidly developing a national reputation particularly with insurers.” Richard Stead is particularly well thought of for his work on Animals Act cases. He is described by interviewees as “being absolutely reliable and always meticulously prepared.” Timothy Grice is considered to be an excellent choice of senior barrister for complex and sensitive cases. Solicitors explain that “he has a good rapport with clients, really knows his stuff and is great with the families.” He is particularly good on fatal injury cases. Andrew McLaughlin has impressed the legal community with his “incredibly enthusiastic and helpful attitude, first-class grasp of complex paperwork and impressive manner in court.” His colleague in chambers Emma Zeb also elicited reams of praise from sources, who see her as a future leader in both personal injury and clinical negligence.
Legal 500 2009
Timothy Grice of St John’s Chambers succeeded for the claimant in Palmer v Cornwall County Council, (the playground stone-throwing litigation). Richard Stead is a regional heavyweight; he appeared in Gravil v Redruth RFC. Andrew McLaughlin is highly respected and Glyn Edwards is ‘very good indeed, he has high standards and meets them every time‘. Anna Symington continues to impress.
