Carolyn Heaton

Practice Areas

I am a partner in the Leeds serious injury team and I lead the Leeds Neuro team which is a team of highly specialised solicitors who deal exclusively in high value and often complex adult and paediatric brain and spinal injury claims. I have specialised in brain and spinal cord injuries for 29 years and during that time have frequently obtained multi million pound settlements for my clients totalling somewhere in the region of £750 million.

Whilst obtaining the right financial settlement is crucial, my team and I are passionate about providing our clients with exceptional and bespoke rehabilitation as that is the way to actually ensure that clients can have the best quality of life possible following their devastating and life changing injuries. As part of the rehabilitation process we look at such things as care, equipment, transport, therapies, employment/education and accommodation and prioritise obtaining interim payments throughout the life of the claim.

Some of my cases have contributed towards the firm’s success in achieving rehabilitation awards. Myself and the team are also asked to take over cases from other solicitors who fail to recognise the complexity of brain and/or spinal injury claims, with the initial referral frequently coming from neuro health professionals. I was nominated and short listed for the “catastrophic” injury lawyer award in 2018 and have regularly provided training on “quantum” issues to members of our national complex personal injury team throughout my career.

I work with various charities, I have presented at various conferences and I also head our national Childrens Serious Injury Special Interest Group who regularly devise and present webinars and conferences on “neuro” and rehabilitation issues to health and neuro sector contacts.

Career

Trained DAC Beachcroft; Irwin Mitchell LLP 1994; partner Irwin Mitchell 2010. Headed the Leeds “neuro” team since 2015.

Professional Memberships

Fellow APIL.