Personal Injury

We have expertise in the following areas:

Accident Investigation: the team is experienced in dealing with all types of incident where there has been personal injury and/or death. This includes liaison with ship owners and their agents, interviewing crew and liaising with authorities (including police, MAIB and health, safety and environment authorities) and participation in inquiries. This can also involve advising ship owners on the procedure for Coroner's Inquests, and assisting them if they have to attend and give evidence before the Coroner.

Advising ship owners on how to deal sensitively with both mental and physical injuries suffered by crews following piracy incidents. Assisting Owners to defend any subsequent claims for damages for physical injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Assisting clients if faced with police investigations, including representation in health and safety prosecutions and including, for example, corporate manslaughter.

Cases involving serious amputation injuries/issues (including limb-loss injuries in the paediatric field): this requires knowledge of the specialist protocols, of the prosthetics sector and being familiar with rehabilitation requirements. We have also developed an extensive expert database in these fields.

Assessment of liability: dealing with both employers' statutory liabilities and public liability cases. Also advising clients on whether any of the international conventions can apply to limit the cases against them. We are frequently instructed for example to advise on whether the Athens or Warsaw Conventions apply and if so, what effects they will have.

Assessment of quantum: if liability rests with the client, our team will quickly assess the likely cost with the aim to conclude cases as cheaply and expeditiously as possible.

Dealing with serious head injury cases in the UK and abroad, resulting from, for example, falls from height or flying debris from catastrophic mechanical failures. A firm understanding of the key medical issues and rehabilitation is crucial in terms of advising the client and in liaising with the opposing legal representatives.

Supervision of foreign lawyers: we assist foreign lawyers and give evidence in foreign proceedings on English law and practice.

Rig Collapse: we were instructed on a rig collapse involving the fatality of a crane operator. Our role initially included investigating the matter and taking witness evidence. We assisted Owners further by liaising with the relevant health and safety authorities and subsequently we dealt with the claims arising from the incident, including a separate accident which was triggered by the rig collapse. In that instance we advised tug owners as to their liabilities when personal injury claims were brought by three crew who sustained injuries in a collision with a vessel which was responding to the initial incident.

Catastrophic rig helicopter crash: we advised on a case for one of the largest global ship/rig owners in a catastrophic incident involving a helicopter crash on one of its rigs in the Middle East, which claimed the lives of seven helicopter crew and passengers. We immediately provided casualty assistance to investigate and advise on the circumstances leading up to the helicopter crash and the systems in place on the rig for such incidents. The strength of our team working on this case, in terms of those with the relevant experience being immediately available to travel, assisted our clients to deal with the relevant authorities and the families of the deceased. The subsequent negotiating skills of the team were used in advising the clients on both liability and quantum. In this matter the team also advised on post-traumatic stress of those who witnessed the incident and the aftermath.

Passenger Ferry Incidents: we are frequently instructed to provide advice following injuries sustained on board passenger ferries by both crew and passengers. This includes many incidents where passengers are injured whilst boarding vessels and involves the initial investigations, discussing evidence with Owners and advising on liability and quantum. We have also advised Owners on a shore incident, involving a limb-loss injury where a child was playing on the chains of a chain-ferry as it was approaching its destination. Given that the matter involved a traumatic amputation injury to a child, our team sensitively advised Owners on the liability and limitation positions, liaised with the MAIB and provided PR assistance. We have since advised on the specialist medical evidence to establish the child's rehabilitation requirements in which the team's medical expertise has been paramount.

Fatality Claims: we often advise in cases where there have been fatalities. For example we have acted for ship owners through their P&I Club in a case where a fire in a fish factory off Chile claimed the lives of 52 people on board. The case highlighted the key to early investigation with a team member travelling to Chile to investigate. The firm's offices in the Far East were also utilised in settling the death claims, demonstrating the effectiveness of the firm's international network.

We have expertise in the following areas:

Accident Investigation: the team is experienced in dealing with all types of incident where there has been personal injury and/or death. This includes liaison with ship owners and their agents, interviewing crew and liaising with authorities (including police, MAIB and health, safety and environment authorities) and participation in inquiries. This can also involve advising ship owners on the procedure for Coroner's Inquests, and assisting them if they have to attend and give evidence before the Coroner.

Advising ship owners on how to deal sensitively with both mental and physical injuries suffered by crews following piracy incidents. Assisting Owners to defend any subsequent claims for damages for physical injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Assisting clients if faced with police investigations, including representation in health and safety prosecutions and including, for example, corporate manslaughter.

Cases involving serious amputation injuries/issues (including limb-loss injuries in the paediatric field): this requires knowledge of the specialist protocols, of the prosthetics sector and being familiar with rehabilitation requirements. We have also developed an extensive expert database in these fields.

Assessment of liability: dealing with both employers' statutory liabilities and public liability cases. Also advising clients on whether any of the international conventions can apply to limit the cases against them. We are frequently instructed for example to advise on whether the Athens or Warsaw Conventions apply and if so, what effects they will have.

Assessment of quantum: if liability rests with the client, our team will quickly assess the likely cost with the aim to conclude cases as cheaply and expeditiously as possible.

Dealing with serious head injury cases in the UK and abroad, resulting from, for example, falls from height or flying debris from catastrophic mechanical failures. A firm understanding of the key medical issues and rehabilitation is crucial in terms of advising the client and in liaising with the opposing legal representatives.