Rachel has an unrivalled attention to detail, excellent response times, and is a thoughtful and concise advocate.’

The Legal 500 2024, Personal Injury

Rachel advises and represents parties in a range of multi-track RTA, Highways Act, employers’ liability and public liability matters.

Her most recent personal injury instructions have included:

  • Advising a 48-year-old pedestrian who suffered internal and orthopaedic injuries, a traumatic brain injury and psychiatric injury, after a high-speed hit-and-run RTA (complex causation issues arising from pre-existing psychiatric history). Case settled.
  • Achieving settlement for a 58-year-old pedestrian with multiple physical and psychiatric injuries after she was hit by a van (contributory negligence pleaded).
  • Advising the family of a teenager suffering catastrophic multiple orthopaedic and brain injuries following a road traffic accident (complex psychiatric/behavioural causation dispute).
  • Achieving settlement for an injured motorcyclist left with chronic pain syndrome and orthopaedic injuries.
  • RTA involving a motor-scooter rider and transit van causing traumatic brain injury and permanent upper limb damage.
  • Settlement of an occupier’s liability claim involving a permanent shoulder injury in a self-employed skilled craftsperson arising from a fall down unsafe external steps.
  • Achieving settlement in respect of a claim concerning complex future loss of earnings and loss of pension claim involving neurological, orthopaedic and psychological injuries arising from a high-speed motorbike v 4×4 vehicle accident.
  • Secondary victim claims, including for a father witnessing his seriously injured presumed-dead child following a road traffic accident.
  • Defending a claim for orthopaedic and neurological injury and substantial loss of earnings arising from an accident with a digger on a construction site.
  • Obtaining substantial damages for a self/employed HGV driver who sustained skull and spinal fractures in an outdoor pursuits accident; complex schedule, in particular past and future loss of earnings (re impact of Covid and Brexit on the haulage industry).
  • A case involving a shop worker sustaining a head injury and neurological damage due to defective storage equipment.
  • Defending a claim brought by an office worker for neurological, orthopaedic and psychological injuries caused by collapsed office furniture.
  • Defending a property management company in a multi-defendant, high-value personal injury claim following a fall in an exclusive retail complex (claim discontinued against the client).
  • Advising insurers and county councils on contribution claims arising out of substantive personal injury settlements.
  • Advising and representing an international manufacturing company on a range of employers’ liability and public liability claims.

Rachel was second junior to Christopher Sharp KC and Anna Symington in a recent RTA catastrophic brain injury case, assisting with a complex multi-million-pound schedule.

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Directory Quotes

She has impeccable attention to detail, and is able to give quick and firm advice on difficult questions.”

The Legal 500 2023, Personal Injury

A strong, organised and approachable barrister, who goes above and beyond to be available to deal with urgent matters. She is patient and understanding with clients, and is excellent at explaining complex matters in layman’s terms.”

Legal 500 2022, Personal Injury

  • Qualifications & awards:

    • BPTC (Nottingham Law School) – very competent (top in year in commercial litigation and employment litigation)
    • Grad LLB (Nottingham Law School) – first class
    • GDL (University of Plymouth) – distinction
    • PhD (Newcastle University)
    • PGCertHE (Open University)
    • MA by research (University of Leeds)
    • BA (Hons) in Music with English Literature (University of Leeds)

  • Professional memberships:

    • Personal Injury Bar Association
    • Employment Law Bar Association
    • Women Lawyers’ Division
    • Member of the Western Circuit
    • Member of the Western Circuit’s Women’s Forum

  • Additional information:

    Before training for the Bar, Rachel was a full-time academic for many years, lecturing in musicology and specialising in Golden Era Hollywood film scoring and latterly working in Higher Education Policy Research. She is a recognised expert on the composer Franz Waxman (a particular focus of her PhD) on whom she has contributed a range of publications, including a Composer of the Week series for BBC Radio 3. She was until recently a professional classical cellist and singer.

  • Rachel Segal is regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) and holds a current practising certificate. If you are not satisfied with the service provided, please read here.