Andrew McLaughlin

Andrew McLaughlin is a leading barrister with a national practice in the fields of personal injury, industrial disease and clinical negligence. A member of St John’s Chambers for more than 20 years, he holds the position of Head of the Personal Injury Practice Group. His focus on client service and enviable ability to turn paperwork around quickly and efficiently has seen him develop into one of the busiest barristers in the country.

His meticulous preparation and tenacious advocacy skills have helped him successfully defend his clients’ interests at trial and as part of settlement negotiations in some of the highest profile injury litigation of recent years.

Andrew is ranked as a Tier 1 barrister in The Legal 500 for personal injury and Band 1 in Chambers UK for personal injury and industrial disease for which he is ranked as a national expert in the Spotlight Table. With a high value multi-track practice, Andrew’s cases are usually in the High Court and Court of Appeal. He is regularly instructed as a leading junior on cases where silks have been instructed on the other side. Notably, in 2021 he comprehensively defeated a well-known KC in the case of Walkden v Drayton Manor Park, securing a finding of fundamental dishonesty.  The claim was originally pleaded at £1.6m.

Andrew’s defendant-focused practice sees him being counsel of choice for the majority of national firms and their insurer clients especially in complex cases where fundamental dishonesty and fraud is alleged. His expert knowledge of counter-fraud litigation tactics is in high demand and Andrew is often asked to speak to claims handlers on how to spot the signs of fundamental dishonesty and claims inflation.

Andrew’s caseload includes claims arising from road traffic accidents, accidents at work, public/occupiers’ liability, and involve catastrophic injuries such as tetraplegia and severe brain and spinal injuries, chronic pain disorders, functional neurological disorder, amputations, stress at work, fatal accidents, sexual abuse, serious psychiatric injuries, upper limb disorders, noise-induced hearing loss, asbestosis and mesothelioma.  He also often represents companies and public bodies in some of the highest level of claims of misuse of private information and data breaches.

In addition to his main practice Andrew also regularly undertakes work on behalf of individuals and companies facing prosecution for breaches of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and subordinate legislation.

Andrew is qualified to undertake public access work in appropriate cases.

Key cases include:

• Denton v TH White – (precedent setting relief from sanctions)
• Walkden v Drayton Manor Park [2021] EWHC 2056 –  (fundamental dishonesty)
• Williams v Betsi Cadwaladr Local Health Board [2022] EWHC 455 – (clinical negligence)
• Arshdeep v Buttar Construction [2021] EWCA Civ 1408 –  (tetraplegia interim payment)
• ATX v CRS & DPS – (highest ever award for interim payment)
• Smith v Secretary of State for Transport 
• Stewart v Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust [2017] EWCA Civ 2091 – (manual handling)