Personal injury: defendant in West Midlands

Browne Jacobson LLP

With Kevin Lawson , Bridget Tatham  and Rachel Lyne  at the helm at Browne Jacobson LLP, the team has an enviable reputation for its work on many complex, serious and high-value claims. It has particular expertise in catastrophic brain and spinal injury claims as well as complicated employer’s liability and public liability claims. In addition, claims arising in the context of sports, disease and abuse continue to be at the cornerstone of the practice. The group also has niche expertise in substantial claims arising out of injuries at care homes. James Arrowsmith  is a known name in the market alongside Matthew Harpin .



Practice head(s):

Kevin Lawson; Bridget Tatham; Rachel Lyne


Other key lawyers:

Matthew Harpin; James Arrowsmith


Key clients

Hiscox


NHS Resolution


Municipal Mutual Insurance Limited


Marble Arch and Lexham Insurance Services


Zurich


Gallagher Bassett


Davies Group


Resolute


Work highlights


  • Settled a claim for a complex brain injury for £12m, which had been pleaded at £24m.
  • Successfully overturned a Judgment in the High Court in relation to a personal injury claim following an alleged negligent tackle during a professional football match.
  • Defended a fatal accident claim at trial, with multi-jurisdictional issues, at trial – the claim was pleaded at £1m.

Clyde & Co

Clyde & Co ‘has unrivalled experience in all forms of Defendant PI work. Personable, hardworking and meticulous in their approach and led by an exceptional management team’. Mike Dobson  and James Harvey  co-head the ‘strong and well-organised team which combines technical knowledge of the law with a sensible practical approach’.  Paul Owston  frequently handles claims for local authorities. Other key members of the ‘highly experienced’ team include Sarah Hill  who leads the fraud practice group and Verinder Bedi   who is a team leader of the motor team. David Thompson is another notable member of the group and has a focus on catastrophic injuries and cross-border litigation.

Practice head(s):

Mike Dobson; James Harvey


Other key lawyers:

Verinder Bedi; David Thompson; Adrian Marston; Emma Taylor; Paul Owston; Hannah Robinson; Sarah Hill; Matthew Stanton


Testimonials

‘The Birmingham-based Defendant personal injury team of Clyde & Co. is impressive. The team enjoys a number of individuals with many years experience of the most complex litigation. The team has strength in depth‘.

‘David Thompson is a highly intelligent and experienced litigator with much experience of cross border personal injury litigation. Mike Dobson is a senior partner who has seen it all and is unflappable’.

‘Excellent knowledge of motor insurance claims. Verinder Bedi – Very hard working, always understands the bigger picture in litigation’.

Key clients

Affinity Water


Ageas


Allianz


Allianz (Fraud)


Argenta


Aviva


AXA xl


Birmingham City Council


Bloor Homes


City of Wolverhampton Council


Derby City Council


DLG


DLG (Fraud)


Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council


Glen Dimplex


Insurance London Consortium (9 London Boroughs)


Jet2


Kent County Council


MIB


Moto


National Express


Fairmead Insurance(formerly L&G)


QBE


Shropshire Council


Telford & Wrekin Council


Travelodge


Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council


Zurich


Zurich Insurance (principally Municipal)


20 or so smaller district and borough councils


DWF

The Birmingham office of DWF has some of their strongest people with a loyal following’ which is led by a number of highly regarded practitioners, among them the 'very tactically astute' Charles Ashmore, Lionel Marcus and Claire Pritchard. Lorraine Carolan is a leading figure in the firm’s national fraud and financial crime team. Derek Adamson garners praise for his specialism in various areas such as mesothelioma claims, legionnaires’ disease and local authority work. Paul Donnelly has an excellent reputation for his work on sensitive cases with children involving sexual abuse and chronic neglect cases. Denise Brosnan is now at Kennedys and Jacqui Kendall joined the practice from Plexus Law, followed by a number of her former colleagues, including highly regarded partners Damon Burt and Anthony Bushell.

Practice head(s):

Derek Adamson; Charles Ashmore; Lorraine Carolan; Paul Donnelly; Lionel Marcus; Claire Pritchard


Other key lawyers:

Jacqui Kendall; Jayne Doore; Michael Henman; Miles Hepworth; Damon Burt; Anthony Bushell; Julia Messervy-Whiting


Testimonials

‘Charles Ashmore and Jayne Doore stand out – both are extremely hard workers who are a pleasure to work for.’

‘DWF is a powerhouse with great teams in London, Manchester and Birmingham. The Birmingham team have some stand-out stars and are incredibly hard-working.’

‘Charles Ashmore has a real aura of authority, dealing with some of the highest value claims around’.

Key clients

RSA


AVIVA


ZURICH


MARKERSTUDY


QBE


COVEA


ARGO


DLG


TRAVELERS


JAGUAR LAND ROVER


ALLIANZ


HASTINGS


NFU MUTUAL


INSURE THE BOX


VISION EXPRESS


AXIS


ALLIED WORD


MEDICAL PROTECTION SOCIETY


CRAWFORD & COMPANY


Work highlights


  • In AB v (1) Worcestershire County Council & (2) Birmingham City Council [2022] EWHC 115 (QB)  -acting for Birmingham City Council, the team was successful in persuading the court that as a child does not have a civil right to be taken into care, there can be no breach of Art6 of the ECHR and that the Art3 ECHR  threshold was not met.  Permission to appeal has been granted and the Court of Appeal will hear the appeal.
  • Acts for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in connection with the personal injury claims (and indeed the public enquiry) arising from the Grenfell Tower disaster in June 2017.
  • Acted for the successful Defendant in MXX v A Secondary School [2022] – the Defendant was an academy school and defended a sexual abuse claim brought by a former student. The Claimant has just been giving permission to appeal to the Court of Appeal

Kennedys

Ian Davies (who has 'tremendous experience and gravitas') heads a ‘very strong team’ at Kennedys, which is praised for its ‘good judgment about when to run cases and when to settle them.’ Other key members of the ‘client focused team that delivers excellent results’ include Mark Walsh, Philippa Craven and James Shrimpton. It is regularly instructed in complex, multi-faceted cases of national significance that are under media scrutiny. The practice excels in advising on a broad range of liability issues from  employers’ and public liability matters to advising on many catastrophic injury claims and occupational disease cases. Naomi North leads its crime and regulatory offering.

Practice head(s):

Ian Davies


Other key lawyers:

Philippa Craven; Mark Walsh; James Shrimpton; Bethany Haycock; Kathryn Hume; Robin Tanner; Sandip Sidhu; Paul Morris; Bob Wallace; Naomi North


Testimonials

‘Kennedys is a firm on the march at a national and international level with a status elevated far above where it was only a few years ago. It has good strength in depth in terms of its lawyers which enables it to deliver cost-effective advice and handling for all types of cases’.

‘Mark Walsh – a partner based in Birmingham but a leading lawyer at a national level. Always looking to use the law creatively to his client’s advantage, often successfully, but a pragmatic litigator at heart he counts many senior insurers amongst his fans’.

‘James Shrimpton: highly intelligent, hard working partner who leads from the front and brings both a keen forensic eye and a practical approach. Also a thoroughly nice man who is a pleasure to work with’.

Key clients

Hertz


EON


Merlin Entertainment PLC (which includes Alton Towers, Chessington World of Adventures, Legoland)


Zenith Marque Insurance Services (formerly Chaucer)


XS Direct


Gallagher Bassett


Western Power Distribution


ERS


Liberty Insurance /Quinn


SAGA/Acromas


Randall & Quilter Investment Holdings Ltd


Keoghs LLP

Keoghs LLP  'handles high-value defence work. They are fearless in fighting the cases - but are tactical and astute in which ones to fight, and which to settle. They collaborate very well’. The firm acts for more than two thirds of the insurance market and acts for a range of self-insured clients, commercial companies and public sector organisations. Practice head, Ken Young has a particular interest in chronic pain cases and those involving amputations, brain and spinal cord injuries. David Pugh is a notable member of the occupational disease team. Ryan Bird handles cases relating to asbestos, stress and harassment. Julie Park and Helen White are also highly-regarded.

Practice head(s):

Ken Young


Other key lawyers:

Helen White; Julian Dexter; Julie Park; Ali Magazachi; Ryan Bird; David Pugh


Testimonials

‘A smaller team in Keoghs’ operation but very good. The thing that stands out about Keoghs generally is that the same positive, co-operative approach is maintained across all offices. Quite remarkable really. Different from other firms where each office is more of an island’.

‘Partners: – Helen White is brilliant. She is really smart and really challenges (in a good way) members of the Bar and experts assisting with her cases. Ken Young is an old hand who has a sure touch on every case he deals with’.

‘Julian Dexter: a stalwart on client cases; enthusiastic about getting the best result in each case. Julie Park: deals with the very large catastrophic cases and does so with a calm, sure hand. Very impressive’.

Key clients

AXA Insurance


Ageas


Allianz


Zurich Insurance


Motor Insurers’ Bureau


Work highlights


  • Acted for a mental health charity in a case arising from an attack by one resident in supported accommodation on another with a samurai sword purchased on the internet – Client Zurich
  • Acting for the Defendant in a claim pleaded at £3.8m by a young man who suffered the traumatic amputation of three fingers in a workplace accident.
  • Acted for a construction company whose employee sustained a spinal cord injury in a fall from a ladder. – client Zurich

Weightmans LLP

Weightmans LLP is recognised as one of the leading defendant personal injury practices in the UK and acts for most major insurers and a number of FTSE 100 companies. Among its leading practitioners are Chris Webb-Jenkins  who leads on social care and safeguarding matters; Navdip Wilson who has particular expertise in chronic pain claims and Henry Bermingham who excels in public sector cases. David Tuck  heads the Birmingham disease team and Penelope Marshall  handles a wide range of litigation on behalf of local government and public sector clients. Bruce Ralston is another name to note for his particular knowledge of sports liability issues.

Practice head(s):

David Tuck; Chris Webb-Jenkins; Penelope Marshall; Henry Bermingham; Navdip Wilson; Bruce Ralston


Other key lawyers:

Shaheen Akhtar; Yvonne Hudders


Testimonials

‘Excellent local government team based in Birmingham. A wealth of knowledge and very friendly team’.

‘Henry Bermingham – quite simply one of the top solicitors in his field’.

‘Good level of knowledge in the teams for public sector claims, sound advice provided over a range of claim types. Good partnering and collaboration on cases’.

‘Technical knowledge and eye for detail important as well as always having an eye on the economics of a case. Peppy Marshall is exceptional. Shaheen Akhtar and Yvonne Hudders are also very good in these area’.

The team is always very reactive and pro active’.

‘Navdip Wilson is always my go to as I know any new instructions will be dealt with immediately and effectively’.

‘Highly experienced and been in the disease law business for decades. Limited higher level solicitor turnover so have some longstanding people who bring knowledge and understanding to the whole team’.

‘David Tuck has many years of experience and knowledge in disease. He is brilliant to work with and pragmatic in a positive way. Well liked by the insurance industry’.

Key clients

AIG


Broadspire


Gallagher Bassett


MMI


Medical Defence Union


NHSLA


Nottinghamshire County Council


Sandwell MBC


Topmark Claims


Travelers Insurance


Warwickshire County Council


Worcestershire County Council


Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust


Zurich


Work highlights


  • Advising the insurers in relation to a high value disease claim pleaded at £3.7m in which the claimant sought recovery of over £2m in damages to cover Inheritance Tax that his estate would incur because of his inability to appropriately tax plan due to his premature death. Negotiating a settlement of just over £1m saving the insurers over £2m.
  • Acting in a multi-defendant case involving injury to the claimant’s eye at work using work equipment. It was advising Pilgrims Pride who were joined into the litigation because of a dispute about the ownership of the premises. Claim was dismissed at trial as the Judge concluded that the accident was not ‘reasonably foreseeable’ and the Claimant had failed to plead a positive case against Pilgrims Pride.
  • Successfully advising a healthcare trust in relation to a claim that a patient had been discriminated against on the grounds of his religion or belief. The defendant was successful in its application and obtained an enforceable costs order. The claimant also provided an undertaking that they would not attempt to bring a further claim arising out of the same subject matter.

Shakespeare Martineau LLP

Ravinder Johal heads a ‘professional, responsive and friendly’ team at Shakespeare Martineau LLP. The defendant insurance group continues to act for a diverse range of blue-chip insurance companies, intermediaries and self-insured organisations. Tony Hannington has a vast array of experience in all manner of accident claims from relatively low value industrial disease claims to defending catastrophic injury claims. At associate level, Brian Jones has an  interest in employers’ and public liability insurance policy claims in the retail and leisure industry, in particular.

Practice head(s):

Ravinder Johal


Other key lawyers:

Tony Hannington; Brian Jones


Testimonials

‘Shakespeare Martineau have a solid presence in the market for defendant personal injury work. They use the resources at their disposal (including intel and surveillance) to secure the best outcomes for their insurers. Their approach is collegiate, and they are pleasant to work with’.

‘Ravinder Johal is an excellent solicitor. He assembles a strong team of experts and counsel and gets the job done. He is particularly good on matters where fraud or exaggeration are suspected’.

‘Brian Jones is a very motivated member of the team who always has an eye on obtaining commercially beneficial resolutions on behalf of his clients. He is a safe pair of hands’.

‘An excellent firm with responsive lawyers who can communicate difficult concepts easily to lay clients. From the very start, Ravinder was proactive, incisive and helpful. His analysis was spot-on’.

‘Brian Jones is very knowledgeable and helpful. He is easy to work with and will always carry out agreed work swiftly and efficiently. He looks at the case economically and works towards driving the cases to settlement’.

‘Brian Jones is professional and always available. Brian is willing to discuss tactics and provide advice to achieve the best outcome’.

‘Ravinder Johal -his technical knowledge is excellent and nothing is too much trouble. He will explain everything in a straightforward manner’.

‘Ravinder Johal always has time to discuss and review claims diligently. This allows us to evaluate the likelihood of success in defending a claim or negotiating the fairest cost effective settlement’.

Key clients

HDI Insurance


Europcar


Sixt


Charles Taylor & Associates


Zurich Insurance


PHS Group


Kier Group


UK Insurance


Thorntons


North West Ambulance Service


QBE Insurance


NEC Group


Sedgwick International Limited


Aviva Insurance