Find out more about St John's Chambers Personal Injury team, and how we can help you.
Personal Injury team
A market-leading set, well regarded for its formidable personal injury offering
CHAMBERS UK, 2023
Who are we?
We are one of the largest and most established Personal Injury teams in the South West. Voted ‘Set of the Year’ (outside London) by The Legal 500 Bar Awards 2022, and ‘Chambers of the Year 2022’ by Bristol Law Society.
We are consistently ranked in the first tier of Chambers UK and The Legal 500 and many of our barristers are recommended as leading juniors in this field.
What we do?
We provide first class advocacy and specialist advice in all areas of personal injury and clinical negligence nationwide. Our team of claimant focused barristers regularly acts for clients on high-value catastrophic injury and fatal accidents claims, from brain and spinal cord injury to mesothelioma. We have a strong track record in areas such as accident-at-work claims, RTAs, stress claims and all types of industrial disease matters. We have developed particular expertise in the handling of cases involving psychiatric damage, amputations and chronic pain syndromes. Our barristers are exceptionally thorough and are well versed in the review and analysis of complex medical histories. Our team understand the importance to the family and the implication of an inquest finding on the running of a successful civil claim, and can provide in-depth knowledge and expertise in this field. We provide specialist advice in claims arising out of historical sexual abuse and claims with injuries caused by animals and farm equipment.
How we can help you Our barristers and clerks are understanding and amenable to the needs of individual clients. Our offices have access for disabled people. Where appropriate and especially in cases where mobility is an issue, our barristers are more than happy to visit clients at home. Our barristers are all happy to deal with claims under the terms of a CFA and it is Chambers policy that our barrister’s do not charge uplifts on personal injury and clinical negligence cases. We believe in consistency of representation especially in cases involving vulnerable clients. Our clerking team will do everything possible to ensure that your chosen barrister is available for every step of your claim. Our team is well versed in all aspects of ADR, and we can provide experienced mediators and representation. Chambers regularly hosts multi-party JSM’s in our modern conferencing suite.
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Working with you every step of the way "The clerks are outstanding and deserve a special mention"
Adam Marston
Hugh Maguire
LEGAL 500, 2023 PERSONAL INJURY
We are the Practice Managers for the Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence teams. We have an extensive in-depth knowledge of our barristers and the marketplace in which we operate. We have been praised by clients for being very approachable and down to earth. We take pride in providing an excellent client service. We’re determined to help. We work really closely with our clients, to help them get the right barrister for every case. We then provide our support all the way through until its completion.
Every case is treated with equal care and importance and we do everything possible to support you from start to finish. If you ever need a barrister, please get in touch. We’d be delighted to hear from you.
Ranked in Band 1 for Chambers UK and Tier 1 for The Legal 500 in Personal Injury
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Our expertise In 2022, 20 barristers advised and represented clients in hundreds of cases. Appearing in courts at all levels in England and Wales, including the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.
Our Areas of Law
Our barristers conduct cases at every level, from the simplest trauma to catastrophic or life- changing injuries - ensuring high- quality advice which is clear and practical.
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What do our clients say?
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JD v Clinton Devon Farms Partnership
Notable personal injury cases
Julian Horne was instructed by the claimant in respect of a fatal accident involving his son KD who was killed when the tractor he was driving crashed through a hedge at the bottom of a steep slope and fell 16’ onto the road below, where he was crushed by the heavily loaded trailer he was pulling.
Employer robustly denied liability throughout, following acquittal on manslaughter charges.
There was a 3-day liability trial in March 2021 with complex issues of expert evidence regarding defective brakes on the trailer and other possible causes of accident. Julian was successful in securing liability finding in favour of the estate and dependants. At an earlier stage the case had also involved consideration (including on appeal) of proper judicial behaviour and the circumstances in which a judge should recuse himself for apparent bias.
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Christopher Sharp KC and Matthew White represented TR. TR was driving his Land Rover on the C25 in Devon. He overtook a slow-moving car and as he was doing so his offside wheels dropped into a long defect/rut or series of potholes at the edge of the carriageway. TR attempted to steer left out of the defect, but lost control of the vehicle, swerving across the road and colliding with trees on his nearside. One of his passengers (AC) was rendered tetraplegic and suffered traumatic amputation of an arm. Another passenger suffered brain injuries and multiple skeletal injuries. TR settled the passengers’ claims for £4,250,000 in lump sums with periodical payments of £275,000 (index linked) for life to AC. Devon County Council v TR [2013] EWCA Civ 418
Notable personal injury cases
TR claimed an indemnity/ contribution from the highway authority on the basis that he would not have lost control of his vehicle but for the defect.
After a 5 day trial on liability, Slade J held that the defect which caused the accident was dangerous, that the highway authority could not make out its statutory defence (having inspected less frequently than Code of Practice recommendations without proper justification), and that TR was not contributorily negligent in the accident. The Court of Appeal upheld the decision of Slade J in respect of dangerousness. They also upheld the decision that the highway authority could not make out its statutory defence (albeit giving some solace to highway authorities as they did so). They substituted a finding of 50% contributory negligence.
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O v Ministry of Defence
Notable personal injury cases
The claimant was a soldier who sustained a non freezing cold Injury (NFCI) during his Army service. He was discharged due to the NFCI and suffered a loss of earnings and pension, together the other financial losses. Liability was eventually admitted. The gross value of the claim at settlement was £909,000 with a reduction for some contributory negligence and some financial deductions. The defence alleged that the claimant would have been discharged in any event due to a back injury, however, the allegation was not accepted by the claimant.
This case is one of many such cases involving NFCI run successfully by Richard Stead.
M v T (2022)
Notable personal injury cases
Robert Mills acts for the claimant in this complex fatal accident case.
The claim arises out of the negligent treatment of the deceased’s ovarian cancer. The allegations centre around the fact that during right salpingo- oophorectomy surgery to remove an ovarian tumour, the same was negligently drained intra-operatively. This led to the recurrence of the cancer, two significant further surgeries, including hysterectomy, multiple rounds of chemotherapy and death. Detailed financial and services dependency claims are advanced on behalf of 5 dependents.
The claim is pleaded at over £1 million.
Our barristers Claimant Personal Injury A dynamic and collaborative set boasting a team of 20 claimant focused specialist personal injury barristers
Christopher Sharp KC Call: 1975 KC: 1999
Richard Stead Call: 1979
Matthew Phillips KC Call: 1993 KC: 2017
Matthew White (Head of Chambers) Call: 1997
Julian Horne Call: 1998
Justin Valentine (Call 1999) (Deputy Head of Clinical Negligence)
You can find full barrister profiles by downloading the QR code
Rachel Russell Call: 2001 (Head of Personal Injury)
Louise Asprey Call: 2007 (Deputy Head of Personal Injury)
Patrick West Call: 2007
Claimant Personal Injury
Our barristers
Ben Handy Call: 2008
James Marwick Call: 2008
Jimmy Barber Call: 2008
"A market-leading set on the Western Circuit, St John's is well regarded for its formidable personal injury offering"
CHAMBERS UK, 2023 PERSONAL INJURY
Robert Mills Call: 2014 (Deputy Head of Clinical Negligence)
Rachel Segal Call: 2013
James Hughes Call: 2011
You can find full barrister profiles by downloading the QR code
Jonathan Lindfield Call: 2017
Rhodri Jones Call: 2017
Sophie Howard Call: 2016
Claimant Personal Injury Our barristers "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“
Lauren Karmel Call: 2017
David Forster Call: 2018
Beatrice Baskett (Pupil) Call: 2021
LEGAL 500, 2023 PERSONAL INJURY
You can find full barrister profiles by downloading the QR code
Essential Toolkit Conference for personal injury and clinical negligence lawyers
Clinical Negligence Conference - Obstetrics - Bristol
Events 2023
We are committed to providing training to the wider legal and medical communities, and we design and deliver many seminars and workshops; we are always happy to provide bespoke training to meet your team’s individual needs. Please contact the clerks to discuss extensive portfolio of workshops and bespoke seminars that we can offer you.
Sign up to our mailings to receive regular updates of forthcoming events.
Wednesday, 1st November @ St George, Bristol
Wednesday, 13th July @ Raddison Blue, Bristol
We can deliver a full range of personal injury seminars for your team at your offices or online including:
Personal Injury
Breach of duty Breast implant/ cosmetic surgery claim
Please contact our clerks to discuss the extensive portfolio of workshops and bespoke seminars that we can offer you.
Costs budgeting Data protection Drafting letters of response, making/withdrawing admissions E-Scooters: two wheels good or two wheels bad? Fatal accidents Mental capacity Part 36 and qualified one-way costs shifting in personal injury and clinical negligence cases Pedestrian contributory negligence & E-scooters Pension loss Quantum update Quantum/drafting counter schedules Tips for reducing value of claims Where tariff meets non-tariff, clarity on the assessment of damages in mixed injury claims (Hassam v Rabot)
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Ongoing Recruitment
Our 3rd sixth pupil, Sophie Howard was taken on as a full tenant.
Beatrice Baskett is undertaking a specialist pupillage within our Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence team
Sophie Howard
Beatrice Baskett
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E-Scooters: A wobbly podcast
Inquests - A “how to” guide for practitioners
The Personal Injury Pod
Our Personal Injury team have created a compelling channel for personal injury lawyers which will provide news, insights, and some personality to complex legal cases.
Material contribution in clinical negligence claims
Provisional damages
Fundamental dishonesty and surveillance
Highway claims: Avoiding the trips
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Our Clerks
The clerks are fantastic. The clerks are always very on the ball and have always been very helpful, approachable and friendly
Adam Marston Practice Manager t: 0117 923 4703 e: adam.marston@stjohnschambers.co.uk
Hugh Maguire Practice Manager t: 0117 923 4797 e: hugh.maguire@stjohnschambers.co.uk
LEGAL 500, 2023
If you have any questions, please contact our clerks who will be delighted to help you.
Lara Hanney Junior Clerk t: 0117 923 4713 e: lara.hanney@stjohnschambers.co.uk
Jordan Yandell Clerk t: 0117 923 4707 e: jordan.yandell@stjohnschambers.co.uk
The great team supporting all of our clients
Our recent successes
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Raising £17,500 for our charities
St John’s Chambers firmly believe in business giving back to the community and support local charities by hosting fundraising events and seminars. As a result we have raised significant funds for national and local UK charities such as Headway, Spinal Injuries Association and AvMA.
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Diversity
We are committed to celebrating and advancing
Equality, Diversity and Wellbeing at the Bar
Took part in the inaugural 10KBI internship programme, offering paid work experience in Chambers
Honoured our BarNone pledge to award more than 50% of mini- pupillages to applicants from underrepresented backgrounds.
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Wellbeing at Chambers
Shortlisted 'best chambers for colleague supportiveness 2023' by Legal Cheek
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About Us
Areas of law Our Clients
Get In Touch
"The 'go-to' chambers in the South West for hard working, knowledgeable and good quality barristers" LEGAL 500, 2023
101 Victoria Street, Bristol BS1 6PU
0117 923 4700
piclerks@stjohnschambers.co.uk
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