An impressive set with a number of high-quality barristers’, praised by some as ‘the strongest set in the South West for personal injury litigation’.”

The Legal 500 2024, Personal Injury

Our public liability expertise is one of many personal injury law specialisms that our established Personal Injury team offers to clients.

With two KCs and over twenty barristers of varying levels of seniority, we offer a wide range of experience in public liability claims, including slipping and tripping accidents, whether under the Occupier’s Liability Act or Highways Act, through to accidents at public recreational facilities. We advise members of the public as well as Highway Authorities, Local Government and insurers.

We also advise clients in professional negligence and clinical negligence claims and represent clients at Inquests and Public Inquiries.

WINNER - TEAM OF THE YEAROur Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence Clerking team won ‘Team of the Year 2023’ by Bristol Law Society.

Our Clerking team enjoy a national reputation for the reliable, helpful and efficient service they provide to clients, always going that extra mile. The  clerks headed up by Adam Marston and Hugh Maguire and their team, Lara Hanney and Jordan Yandell, are consistently praised for their high standard client service in Chambers UK and The Legal 500.

Training

We design and deliver many seminars and workshops and are always happy to provide bespoke training to meet your team’s individual needs. Please contact Adam Marston or Hugh Maguire, Practice Managers, to discuss the extensive portfolio of workshops and bespoke seminars that we offer clients.

Public Liability Team

Christopher Sharp QC

Christopher Sharp KC

  • Call: 1975
  • Silk: 1999

Christopher is one of the leading personal injury and clinical negligence silks. He acts for both claimants and defendants, and the majority of his work involves multi-million-pound catastrophic brain and spinal injuries cases that very often contain complex...

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Matthew Phillips QC

Matthew Phillips KC

  • Call: 1993
  • Silk: 2017

In the field of personal injury Matthew specialises in asbestos related disease claims and catastrophic head and spinal injuries. In the field of sports law Matthew has extensive experience of personal injury claims and regulatory work involving anti-doping...

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Richard Stead

  • Call: 1979

One of Chambers’ most senior barristers, Richard has an extensive practice which encompasses personal injury, clinical negligence, professional negligence claims and property damage matters, including a number of high profile cases. Richard’s practice is also complemented by his...

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Andrew McLaughlin

Andrew McLaughlin

  • Call: 1993

Andrew’s key fields of expertise lie in fundamental dishonesty, brain and spinal injury and alleged chronic pain, employers’ liability for accidents at work and industrial disease, road traffic accidents, bullying and stress at work, sexual abuse, occupier’s and...

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Matthew White

Matthew White

  • Call: 1997

Matthew boasts particular experience and expertise in matters of Highway Law, and regularly advises (particularly highway authorities) on such claims including ordinary trippers/ slippers, winter maintenance cases, and cases in which the status of the location (and whether...

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Julian Horne

Julian Horne

  • Call: 1998

Julian is an experienced personal injury barrister with expertise across the field. He has appeared in a wide variety of public liability claims, including claims against occupiers and landowners for both personal injury and property damage, and cases...

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Justin Valentine

  • Call: 1999

Justin undertakes all aspects of personal injury work acting predominantly for claimants.  He has a particular interest in workplace claims (especially where liability expert evidence is required) and claims involving vulnerable road users (children, pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists).  His...

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Rachel Russell

Rachel Russell

  • Call: 2001

Rachel is Head of our Personal Injury team, and has over 20 years’ experience in dealing with personal injury cases, acting for both claimants and defendants. She has gained a reputation for her robust advocacy, well-reasoned but no nonsense...

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Darren Lewis

Darren Lewis

  • Call: 2004

Darren works in all aspects of public liability. In highways cases he has a loyal following among local authorities ranging from Walsall MBC in the West Midlands to Cornwall County Council in the South West. In occupier’s liability...

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Louise Asprey

Louise Asprey

  • Call: 2007

Louise has many years of experience representing both claimants and defendants in personal injury and clinical negligence matters. She regularly deals with claims arising out of road traffic accidents and is experienced in dealing with claims brought under...

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Patrick West website

Patrick West

  • Call: 2007

Public liability work makes up a large proportion of Patrick’s practice. He is regularly instructed by highways authorities and other public bodies as well as claimants and advises on section 41 and section 58 issues. He is also...

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Jimmy Barber

  • Call: 2008

Jimmy is regularly instructed to advise and to represent claimants and defendants alike in multi-track cases in the County Court involving the statutory duties under the Highways Act 1980, the Occupiers’ Liability Acts 1957 and 1984 and the...

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James Marwick

James Marwick

  • Call: 2008

James is an experienced personal injury and clinical negligence barrister with sub-specialisms in costs and professional negligence.  He is ranked in The Legal 500 in costs (Tier 1), clinical negligence and personal injury. He acts for both claimants...

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Ben Handy

Ben Handy

  • Call: 2008

Ben is a specialist personal injury barrister widely recognised for his work representing claimants and defendants in serious injury claims. He also spends some of his time sitting as a Crown Court judge, having been appointed to the office of...

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James Hughes

  • Call: 2011

James has considerable experience across the full range of public liability work acting for claimants and defendants or their insurers. Recent work includes: Advising the claimant, who had suffered serious and multiple fractures of his left heel and...

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Rachel Segal

Rachel Segal

  • Call: 2013

Rachel is a personal injury barrister frequently instructed to advise and represent claimants and defendants in public liability matters arising from accidents on the highways and on public and private premises.  She is instructed at all stages of...

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Sophie Howard

  • Call: 2016

Sophie is a member of the Personal Injury, Clinical Negligence, and Inquest teams. She joined Chambers in May 2022 after completing a specialist third six pupillage under the supervision of Jimmy Barber. Having successfully completed a common law...

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Jonathan Lindfield

Jonathan Lindfield

  • Call: 2017

Jonathan specialises all areas of personal injury litigation, including RTAs, occupiers’/public/employers’ liability, Highways Act, defective premises, product liability, claims brought under the Animals Act, and many others. He is regularly involved in claims where there are complex issues...

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Rhodri Jones

Rhodri Jones

  • Call: 2017

Rhodri specialises in clinical negligence, acting for both claimants and defendants. Before retraining as a barrister, Rhodri practiced as a medical doctor for 18 years, principally in A&E and general practice. His wealth of knowledge and clinical experience...

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Lauren Karmel

  • Call: 2017

Lauren is ranked as a leading junior (Tier 2) in The Legal 500 2024 guide. She accepts instructions in all areas of clinical negligence and inquest work, and is developing a strong paper-based practice in all areas of...

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David Forster

  • Call: 2018

David is a specialist Personal Injury barrister who has a balanced practice acting for both Claimants and Defendants. His practice encompasses all aspects of Personal Injury and he is regularly instructed to advise on claims relating to RTAs,...

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Beatrice Baskett

Beatrice Baskett

  • Call: 2021

Beatrice joined our Personal Injury, Clinical Negligence and Inquests teams in October 2023 following the successful completion of her pupillage under the supervision Robert Mills and Benjamin Handy. Beatrice is instructed regularly in fast-track trials, interlocutory applications and...

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Derek O'Sullivan KC

  • Call: 1990
  • Silk: 2006

Derek O’Sullivan KC’s practice concentrates on personal injury and he has significant experience in: catastrophic injury claims, employer’s liability claims, occupier’s liability claims, fatal accident claims and road traffic accidents. Derek is also regularly instructed in health and...

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Anna Symington-114

Anna Symington

  • Call: 2002

Anna acts for both claimants and defendants in most personal injury matters. Her areas of expertise are principally: Catastrophic injuries (with emphasis on amputation claims) CRPS Psychiatric and chronic pain cases Fraudulent and exaggerated claims Employers’ liability issues. Motor...

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Directory Quotes

A market-leading set on the Western Circuit, St John’s Chambers is well regarded for its formidable personal injury offering.”

Chambers UK 2024, Personal Injury

St John’s Chambers is ‘an impressive set with a number of high-quality barristers’, praised by some as ‘the strongest set in the South West for claimant personal injury litigation’.

The Legal 500 2024, Personal Injury

A market-leading set, well regarded for its formidable personal injury offering. Its barristers regularly act for and advise both claimant and defendant clients, including numerous key insurance companies, in high-value catastrophic and fatal injury claims.”

Chambers UK 2023, Personal Injury

The clerks are very responsive and friendly.”

Chambers UK 2023, Personal Injury (Client Service)

The clerks of St John’s are outstanding and deserve a special mention.”

Legal 500 2023, Personal Injury (Client Service)

St John’s Chambers has a wide breadth of expertise and experience.’ ‘ They are always able to offer available counsel at the right level on any case.’ “

Legal 500 2023, Personal Injury

St John’s Chambers houses a comprehensive set of barristers in its personal injury team, which is praised by clients for its strength in depth.”

Legal 500 2022, Personal Injury

The clerking is amazing, and everyone is so accommodating and helpful. Their thoroughness and ability to get straight to the nub of things is so impressive.”

Chambers UK 2022, Personal Injury (Client Service)

A market-leading set on the Western Circuit, St John’s Chambers is well regarded for its formidable personal injury offering. ‘The quality of advice provided by the barristers is exceptional.’ “

Chambers UK 2022, Personal Injury

“A market-leading set on the Western Circuit, St John’s Chambers is well regarded for its formidable personal injury offering.”

Chambers UK 2021, Personal Injury

The clerks are efficient, friendly and take a can-do approach. ‘The clerking service is consistently first rate.’ ‘The clerks are very organised and efficient. I appreciate the speed with which they deal with things.’ ‘They respond quickly and deal with any issues promptly.’ “

Chambers UK 2021, Personal Injury (Client Service)

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