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

personal injury shortlistOur Personal Injury barristers are regularly instructed by employers, usually through their insurers, in employers’ liability matters. Our 22-strong team of barristers advise and represent clients in a range of disputes including:

  • Work-related accidents
  • Stress
  • Bullying/harassment.

We advise both claimants and defendants, and clients include insurers, law firms and governmental bodies.

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 and Hugh Maguire Practice Managers, to discuss the extensive portfolio of workshops and bespoke seminars that we offer clients.

View our Personal Injury digital book here for further details about how we can help you.

Employers’ 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 works for both claimants and defendants in relation to accidents at work and the liability of employers for their employees and others. He spent many years dealing with claims under 6-pack regulations and, following the coming into...

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Julian Horne

Julian Horne

  • Call: 1998

Julian is an experienced personal injury barrister with expertise across the field. He is instructed in cases relating to a wide variety of accidents at work, across the whole scope of an employer’s responsibility for its employees. He...

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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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Darren Lewis

Darren Lewis

  • Call: 2004

Darren practises in all areas of employers’ liability for both claimants and defendants. He regularly advises and appears in legacy ‘Six Pack’ regulations cases that commenced before direct effect ceased. He advises and appears in complex cases involving...

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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

Patrick has a rapidly growing practice in occupational illness litigation particularly noise-induced hearing loss in the engineering, steel and textile industries. He also has an interest in HAVS, WRULD/RSI, stress, occupational asthma and asbestos-related claims. He specialises in...

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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. He is experienced in dealing with cases involving manual handling, the provision and use of work equipment, PPE,...

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James Marwick

James Marwick

  • Call: 2008

James has been recognised as a leading junior in personal injury work for a number of years. He specialises in high-value claims and undertakes work for claimants and defendants involving serious injury. He is Deputy Head of the...

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Ben Handy

Ben Handy

  • Call: 2008

Ben is Deputy Head of Chambers’ Personal Injury Department, a mediator and part-time Crown Court judge. He is widely recognised for his “resourceful and highly adaptable” trial advocacy and “excellent advice on strategy” in relation to catastrophic injury...

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James Hughes

  • Call: 2011

James has experience of acting for claimants and defendants in claims arising out of workplace accidents. Recent work includes: Acting successfully at trial for one of a number of defendants in a claim brought by a plasterer who...

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Rachel Segal

Rachel Segal

  • Call: 2013

Rachel is a personal injury barrister with experience in advising and drafting pleadings for claimants and defendants in cases involving employer’s liability in a variety of contexts.  She is instructed from pre-action to trial stages. Recent instructions include:...

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Sophie Howard

  • Call: 2016

Sophie specialises in clinical negligence, personal injury and inquest work. She acts for claimants and defendants in a variety of personal injury cases including RTA claims, employer’s liability, occupier’s liability, fraud and credit hire. Sophie is an experienced...

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Jonathan Lindfield

Jonathan Lindfield

  • Call: 2017

Jonathan is an experienced, sought-after, specialist personal injury barrister, whose practice encompasses all aspects of personal injury litigation. Jonathan regularly acts for both claimants and defendants on the fast and multi-track, in claims worth up to £1m. From...

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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 for clinical negligence in The Legal 500 2024 guide, and is a specialist clinical negligence and inquests barrister. She has a sub-specialism in professional regulation and fitness to practise matters. Lauren...

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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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Tara-Lynn Poole

  • Call: 2019

Tara-Lynn practises in personal injury, clinical negligence and costs. She is known for her meticulous approach, and has been praised for her in-depth knowledge of civil procedure. She takes a pragmatic and solution-focused approach to her cases and...

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Beatrice Baskett

  • Call: 2021

Beatrice is a barrister specialising in clinical negligence, personal injury and inquests. In clinical negligence Beatrice is instructed in a broad range of cases, including orthopaedic, delayed diagnosis, dental treatment and fatal accident claims. Her clinical negligence work...

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Sarah Riley

Sarah Riley

  • Call: 2021

Sarah is a barrister specialising in personal injury and clinical negligence. In personal injury, Sarah is regularly instructed in both fast track and small claims hearings, along with infant approval hearings, Stage 3 hearings, interlocutory hearings and other...

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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

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

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

Legal 500 2023, Personal Injury (Client Service)

The clerks are very responsive and friendly.”

Chambers UK 2023, Personal Injury (Client Service)

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

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

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)

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

“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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