Personal Injury

Parklane Plowden is the leading chambers on the North Eastern Circuit for personal injury matters, with instructing solicitors noting their "knowledgeable and tenacious barristers who offer pragmatic advice." The areas of expertise for the team include high-value catastrophic brain and spinal injury as well as amputation claims, acting for both claimant and defendant clients. One recent example of such work involved a High Court claim concerning a road traffic accident with physical and psychological damages. The set's barristers are frequently involved in high-profile and leading cases, and have experience appearing before both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.

Sharon Robson is the practice director for civil and employment law.

"The clerking team at Parklane Plowden are very accessible."

"The clerks are extremely responsive and reliable."

"The clerks at Parklane Plowden are very helpful and friendly."

"The clerks are helpful, fast and efficient."

"The clerks are excellent and all communications are promptly dealt with."

Andrew Axon combines his outstanding personal injury practice with his work in clinical negligence. He is instructed by both the defence and the prosecution in serious, high-value cases, and excels in those relating to brain and spinal injury as well as amputations. He regularly appears in cases before the High Court and the Court of Appeal. "Andrew is my go-to person for large, complex personal injury matters. He is very good with clients." "He can get a grasp of issues quickly and pare out the important matters. He is then able to explain such issues to clients in layman's terms." "His breadth of knowledge on brain injury cases is phenomenal." "He has a very good ability to grasp fine detail in complex brain injury cases and is very adept at dealing with complex liability issues."

James Murphy is a well-respected junior and head of chambers at Parklane Plowden. He handles both industrial disease and catastrophic injury claims, and also has a specialist focus on employers' liability. He represents claimants and defendants, both at first instance and on appeal. "James is very good at breaking down complex issues for clients and explaining them in simple terms." "He knows personal injury inside out. He is very good on his feet and his cross-examination is excellent." "He has a gentle and persuasive manner about him which is super effective." "He is focused on good client care, explaining things to clients in a meaningful and relevant way." "James is a superb advocate who is technically strong."

Richard Copnall is known for his commanding presence at trial and in negotiations, making him a powerful representative for clients. He principally acts in high-value catastrophic injury cases, though he also represents clients facing psychological injuries. He is able to draw on his scientific background when advising on cases with complex technical elements. "He is a formidable advocate who has exceptional attention to detail and is great with clients."

Stephen Friday offers a broad practice representing defendants and claimants alike. He is particularly experienced in cases concerning chronic pain and fatal and back injury as well as others arising in a clinical setting. He also takes on claims relating to road traffic accidents. "Stephen is highly analytical and is able to distil the key issues with ease and navigate a clear path to a positive outcome for clients." "He is an excellent counsel - he's very practical, approachable and has commercial awareness." "He's good at adapting to what the client needs."

Catherine Souter represents claimants and defendants in multi-track as well as fast-track cases. She has a broad range of experience but is particularly knowledgeable about personal injury arising out of health and safety breaches, and is well versed in employment, occupiers' and public liability cases. She also handles claims involving fatal accidents, psychiatric injury and chronic pain conditions. Her clients include local authorities, NHS trusts, manufacturers and insurers. "She is an astute advocate who is excellent with clients."

Corin Furness is well versed in employment and public liability, and is also noted for his loss expertise. He also regularly handles claims concerning matters related to capacity to work and spinal injury. He acts for both claimants and defendants, and is particularly adept at handling multi-track claims. "Corin is a fantastic barrister. He is responsive and extremely collaborative." "Corin is very well prepared, a tenacious advocate, good on paper and good with lay clients." "Corin is an all-rounder who excels in cross-examination. He's a pleasure to work with. He quickly understands instructions and advocates arguments with such clarity and persuasion."

Elizabeth Hodgson represents defendants in personal injury cases relating to employers' liability as well as public liability claims. She also acts for claimants in claims arising from psychological abuse. Her clients include insurers, local authorities and NHS Resolution. "Liz's grasp of issues and the ease with which she speaks to clients always makes the instructing solicitor's life a lot easier." "Liz is very knowledgeable and pragmatic." "Liz is very client-focused, thinking about the practicalities of a case from both the handling solicitor and client perspective."

Howard Elgot is a senior junior known for his superb grasp of claims involving serious spinal and brain injuries. He often acts in complex, high-value paralysis cases, representing both claimants and defendants. He is a frequent speaker at national conferences on personal injury law. He is experienced appearing before the House of Lords, the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal. "He provides great service and his knowledge is unmatched."

Hylton Armstrong is highly regarded for his proficient handling of personal injury claims arising out of serious road traffic accidents and complex employers' liability claims. He acts for both claimants and defendants and has notable experience handling cases involving allegations of fraud. "Hylton is fantastic with clients and experts alike. He is pragmatic and approachable." "He has excellent client care and has commercial awareness. He's highly experienced at complex personal injury claims." "His advice is always very clear and to the point. He has a really calming manner with clients."

Justin Crossley is a well-regarded barrister who represents both claimants and defendants in a wide range of personal injury claims. He is particularly experienced in the handling of complex fatal accident cases. "He is very good with clients and able to discuss complicated matters with them in simple terms." "He is approachable, has a good thought process and is very methodical." "He is very strong and reliable all round."

Stuart Jamieson is a junior barrister who continues to represent both claimants and defendants in complex personal injury cases. He regularly acts for clients with life-altering injuries arising from accidents at work as well as soft tissue injury. He is noted for his exceptional ability when it comes to costs issues and claims under the Animals Act. He is also adept at handling complex industrial disease claims involving crush injury. "Stuart is very good with clients and gets to the root of the issue quickly. His advocacy skills are very good."

Tom Nossiter receives high praise for his exceptional client care skills, which lend strength to his claimant-focused practice. He acts in high-value occupiers' and public liability claims as well as complex employment liability cases. He is also experienced in the handling of industrial disease claims. "Tom is always available, addresses instructions promptly and has excellent knowledge within the personal injury arena." "Tom is great on paperwork. He is happy to go that extra mile and is well liked by clients." "Tom has superb ability and is very bright. He's definitely one to have in your corner."

Abigail Telford is a well-regarded junior barrister who is noted for her handling of complex personal injury matters, such as psychological injury and serious injury arising from RTAs. She regularly acts for both claimants and defendants. "Abigail has always been extremely good in terms of the presentation of hearings and making sure the client remains central and involved." "She demonstrates great preparation and advocacy." "Abigail is strong in all aspects of personal injury work."

Jim Hester is a well-regarded barrister who is regularly called upon to represent the Ministry of Defence in complex personal injury cases. He has considerable experience handling military deafness claims. "Jim is very client-focused. He is always happy to pick up the phone and talk issues through." "He is great to work with and he gets stuck right into the details." "Jim has excellent client-handling skills and provides very thorough advice."

Roger Quickfall has expertise in handling matters regarding brain injuries and injuries sustained from RTAs. He is equally comfortable handling disputes over causation and quantum, and has additional experience in appellate matters. "He leaves no stone unturned. He has an impressive and in-depth knowledge of the law and assimilates large volumes of material with ease. He is organised and efficient." "He is a good barrister who is able to grasp the issues quickly. He covers the issues in depth while remaining calm and approachable."

Megan Crowther is a junior barrister at Parklane Plowden and has a strong practice with a wide offering of personal injury expertise. She has experience handling claims involving complex injuries including traumatic brain injuries and psychological damage claims. "She advocates hard for her clients to ensure they get the outcome they want." "Megan's approach is clear and concise, and she focuses well on the key points of the claim."