Jon Nicholson heads the personal injury team, which is described by one client as a ‘go-to choice for personal injury work in central London’, at Anthony Gold Solicitors LLP. Multiple team members are on the Law Society Personal Injury Panel, and the workload includes such technically difficult and sensitive matters as psychiatric injury; employment cases involving stress at work; amputation cases; multi-trauma and catastrophic injuries; road traffic accidents; and traumatic brain injury in adults and children – the last of these areas is one of particular specialism for Jackie Spinks. Notably, in 2021, the firm’s managing partner David Marshall, ‘one of the finest injury solicitors working today’, led and succeeded on Stansfield v the BBC, one of the most significant injury cases of that year. ‘Leading light in this field’, Jenny Kennedy, is another standout in the team, specialising in complex brain, spinal and amputation injuries, with a strong reputation for representing foreign nationals injured in the UK, a specialism shared by Ian Peters. Recently promoted partner Samuel David is one to watch in the team, as is catastrophic injury specialist Adam Dyl.

The ‘truly excellent’ team at Fieldfisher is co-led by Paul McNeil, Peter Williams and Jill Greenfield whom, having worked on international cases for victims of Harvey Weinstein, was sought out to act on behalf of UK victims of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse in 2021, and did so successfully – she is described as being ‘at the top of her game’. The team is renowned for its international work, including acting on behalf of victims of terror attacks; it campaigned to introduce the legislation which now means that UK victims of terror attacks can fight for compensation, wherever in the world the attack occurs. Andrew Morgan and Peter Williams lead the asbestos and mesothelioma specialist sub-team; in 2021 they successfully widened the scope of dependency of those suffering mesothelioma to foster children, following a successful case at the Court of Appeal. Following a holistic approach, the team is dedicated to assisting clients with specialist care, support and rehabilitation, where needed. The team has also been at the forefront of the debate surrounding the safety of Smart Motorways, with ‘standout’ Harvinder Kaur having worked on such cases. ‘Outstanding‘ Dushal Mehta and ‘star‘ practitioner Jennifer Buchanan complete the roster of recommended practitioners.

The majority APIL-accredited personal injury team at Irwin Mitchell is co-led by heads of serious injury Richard Geraghty and Tracey Storey, and regional lead partner Alison Eddy, who specialises in adult and childr brain and spinal catastrophic injury claims. The team’s workload consists of legally and emotionally complex claims of value in the multi-millions, with the Tunisian terror attack multi-party action being one recent example of this. Demetrius Danas, who has significant experience of litigating abroad, having pursued cases in over fifty jurisdictions worldwide, leads the sub-team which focuses specifically on international claims. Additionally, there is a sub-team specialising in workplace disease and asbestos claims, helmed by Ian Bailey and lead partner on the recent landmark Court of Appeal case Rix v Paramount Shopfitting, Joanne Jefferies. Extensive rehabilitation and financial support services are offered to clients both pre- and post-settlement, in the form of the dedicated support and rehabilitation co-ordination service. Sarah Griggs, Leane Shanks and the ‘superb’ Chani Dhaliwal are also noteworthy members of the team.

Leigh Day‘s injury offering is co-led by head of personal injury and ‘force of nature’ Sally Moore and head of international law Richard Meeran, while its disease team is jointly led by Daniel Easton and Harminder Bains. Major trauma is an area of particular expertise for the group; it is on the panel for three major trauma hospitals in the UK and continues to be the sole provider of legal services to British Cycling and British Triathlon members. Rory McCarron is developing a strong reputation in cycling injury work. The firm's workload extends to niche areas of injury, including food poisoning and allergic reactions, which Michelle Victor in particular, is recognised for. Notably, the team has a global reach and regularly acts for foreign claimants who have suffered injury in the UK, with Sapna Malik being just one of the key names to note in this respect. In addition, the team is experienced in dealing with cases intrinsically linked with international human rights issues, a recent example being its representation of 75 claimants who suffered alleged extensive and traumatic abuse at work in Tanzania. 'Legend in this area' Martyn Day continues to be a leading presence in the team.

As of May 2022, Daniel Herman has taken over from Paul Paxton as leader of the ‘standout’ personal injury offering at Stewarts Law LLP. The team deals with the most complex, high-value catastrophic personal injury claims, acting exclusively for clients who have suffered life-changing injuries worth a minimum of £1m in damages – its cases often involve road traffic or workplace accidents resulting in such issues as brain, spinal, psychiatric and orthopaedic injury, as well as injuries requiring amputation. It also has extensive experience dealing with cross-border cases. The team’s ethos is that every partner has fewer clients and a smaller workload, allowing them the time necessary to focus fully on the cases that they are running. Stephanie Clarke has been involved with some of the team’s most complex cases in recent years, including a landmark interim payment settlement. Kara Smith leads the pro bono team, which provides 10,000 hours worth of free legal advice to hospital patients, annually. Managing partner Stuart Dench, Charles Edwards and Ben Rogers are also recommended.

The offering at Bindmans LLP is led by 'veteran' Jon Crocker, and exclusively acts on claims involving catastrophic or very serious injury. The key types of claim which the team is experienced in dealing with usually involve road traffic and workplace accidents, which regularly lead to brain, spinal and orthopaedic injuries, as well as debilitating and complex pain conditions; its cases also regularly have cross-jurisdictional elements. In addition, the team works on sensitive psychiatric injury causation cases, for both primary and secondary victims; 'natural leader' Alla Murphy has particular expertise in this area. ‘Really excellent personal injury lawyer’ Yagmur Ekici, who specialises in head injury, psychological trauma, fatal accident and difficult quantum cases, is one to watch in the team.

Jonathan Wheeler leads the personal injury offering at Bolt Burdon Kemp LLP; it functions as a cross-departmental group spanning adult brain injury, child brain injury, spinal injury, military claims, abuse and complex injury. The sub-division of specialisms allows team members an increased focus on their own area of expertise. In addition, the team has been expanding into more niche areas, with women’s health becoming a particular focus in recent years. Ahmed Al-Nahhas leads the military sub-team, working on cases involving such complex issues as PTSD, and is described as ‘one of the best lawyers in the market for military personal injury work’. The has recently campaigned around the impact of Covid-19 on child abuse, inequality in Britain’s legal aid system and the safety of e-scooters – Joshua Hughes has done impressive work on the last of these. The team also offers early therapy and trauma support to its clients. Child abuse lead David McClenaghan has led on multiple recent cases which are being considered by the Supreme Court.

Hodge Jones & Allen‘s team is co-led by head of personal injury Leticia Williams and head of asbestos and ‘first-rate litigator’ Isobel Lovett. The team has a strong reputation for its specialism in complex, retrospective mesothelioma work; notably, Lorna Webster recently secured a six-figure settlement on a significant case against Ford Motor Company. The group also has significant experience dealing with other high-value and complex areas of personal injury, involving such difficult and sensitive factors as psychiatric illness and duty of care; road traffic and workplace accidents resulting in traumatic brain injury; severe orthopaedic injury; spinal cord injury; and amputation. Riffat Yaqub, in whom clients ‘rightly have great confidence‘, often leads on the team’s most complex cases spanning these areas, and is also experienced in assisting foreign claimants who have sustained serious injuries in the UK.

The team at Osbornes is co-chaired by personal injury department head Stuart Kightley; head of child abuse and clinical negligence Stephanie Prior, who has acted on such high profile claims as those made by the abuse victims of Jimmy Saville; and head of catastrophic injury Ben Posford, who is described as being ‘one of the leading catastrophic injury lawyers in the country’. The team deals with multi-million pound, often multifaceted claims, involving such factors as severe brain, psychiatric, gynaecological and spinal injury, major trauma, amputation and fatality. Sophie Davies specialises in brain injury and lower limb amputation cases. The team is the official legal partner of the London Cycling Campaign, and Andrew Middlehurst has a growing specialism in cycling claims and in the laws around e-scooters. Notably, multiple members of the team are fluent in various eastern European languages. Recently appointed partner Sam Collard is one to watch. ‘Brilliant negotiator‘ Robert Aylott is another key team member.

The personal injury offering at Hugh James is co-led by head of specialist personal injury Mark Harvey and head of abuse claims Alan Collins. The offering is formed of multiple sub-teams, which focus on areas including personal injury, abuse, neurolaw, asbestos and military claims. The team in London has a particular focus on catastrophic and serious injury, and is ably supported by the Court of Protection sub-team. In addition, it has a strong reputation for handling claims on behalf of vulnerable clients, including those concerning such matters as child sexual abuse and the duty of care owed to claimants lacking capacity. There is also an asbestos specialism in the team; ‘extremely talented’ Mary Mulhall takes the lead in this area.

Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP‘s team is co-led by the ‘incredible’ Warren Collins and the ‘exceptional’ Tristan Hallam. The team focuses on claims made by the catastrophically injured, and allocates its clients a dedicated lead lawyer from the outset. Its cases are complex in nature and often of significant value; they regularly involve road traffic accidents and assaults, resulting in such issues as severe brain and spinal cord injury, upper limb and orthopaedic injury leading to amputation, psychological harm and wrongful death. The team also has experience dealing with international matters, with a particular niche expertise in trans-atlantic catastrophic injury and wrongful death claims. Notably, Louise Taylor is currently working on a complex group action involving psychological harm caused to police officers during the Grenfell Tower disaster, and the team also works with Police Care UK, which provides support and rehabilitation to traumatised officers.

The personal injury offering at Shakespeare Martineau LLP, trading under the Lime Solicitors name, has grown significantly in recent years with its acquisition of the Hudgell Solicitors‘ team and is, as of May 2021, led by partner and former personal injury lead at Moore Barlow, ‘amazing individual’ Martin Usher. The team’s workload is focused in part towards abuse work, which can involve sexual abuse against children or workplace abuse and can often be brought in the form of group actions - this area is Malcolm Johnson‘s specialty; he is presently acting for claimants allegedly wronged during Windrush. The team has acted for claimants involved in other such high profile alleged abuse cases against, among other, religious systems, the UK schooling system and established employers. In addition, the team works on serious injury claims, with Kent Pattinson standing out in this area.

The personal injury offering at Slater and Gordon is led by head of serious injury in the South, Tracey Benson, who is described by one client as ‘an excellent solicitor and a huge asset to the firm’. The firm has five London serious injury teams, which cover road traffic accidents, including complex new issues such as automated braking in cars; secondary victim claims; public liability; employers’ liability; and product liability. There is a clear focus on catastrophic injury in the team, which is ‘bright and industrious’ principal lawyer Will Cornwell ‘s area of expertise; its cases are often of significant value, frequently involving such issues as orthopaedic injury and amputation, severe traumatic brain injury and gastroenterological injury, as well as psychiatric injury elements.

Horwich Cohen Coghlan Solicitors‘ London office was formed in January 2021 with Patrick Maguire, who continues to lead the personal injury offering, at the helm. He has significant experience dealing with international work. The team’s workload exclusively involves catastrophic, life-changing and fatal injury claims, resulting mainly from road traffic and motorbike accidents and terror attacks; Amber Braybrook specialises in these areas. The team is also developing a reputation acting for claimants in cases where causation is difficult to establish, including sports and horseplay environments, and those where the claimant was at work or on duty when they obtained their injury. The recruitment of associate partner Joe Dodman to the team from Slater and Gordon in December 2021 has added further experience and expertise.

The London-based personal injury team at Moore Barlow is co-led by major trauma specialist Trevor Sterling and Damian Horan, who is experienced in dealing with both national and international claims. It has particular expertise in orthopaedic injuries and amputations, fatal accidents and severe brain injuries in adults and children; its expertise in the last of these areas is illustrated by panel membership on the Child Brain Injury Trust in London. In collaboration with Aspire Law, the team also acts on a considerable number of spinal injury cases. Amandeep Khasriya founded and chairs the firm’s diversity and inclusion committee, and is developing a strong reputation in the injury field, working exclusively on major trauma cases.

The Putney-based team at Russell-Cooke LLP is led by Sarah Towler. The team covers a broad range of complex injury work, often of substantial value, occasionally with cross-border elements. Notably, it has an offering of dedicated, in-house medical professionals to assist on its cases. Strengths include acting for adults and children on issues including inquests and fatal claims; brain and spinal injury; paralysis caused in youth; and aquatic injuries. In addition, the team works on claims relating historical sexual abuse multi-party actions and resultant psychiatric injury. The arrival of ‘top drawer’ partner Grant Incles, formerly of Leigh Day, in Januar 2022 bolstered the strength of the team; notably, he recently succeeded in the landmark Court of Appel case Swift v Carpenter. Senior associate Nimmisha Aslam, who specialises in road traffic and workplace accidents, is one to watch.

RWK Goodman's personal injury offering is co-headed by the firm’s national head of industrial disease Helen Childs, who has significant expertise in asbestos-related illnesses, and Richard Brooks, who has a strong reputation for his niche specialism in handling Animal Act cases. In addition, it also has interest and experience in dealing with chronic pain injury cases, including complex regional pain syndrome, fibromyalgia and other such less visible illnesses. The team is strengthening its bench, having recruited partner and asbestos claim specialist Sarah Wolf from Fieldfisher to its London team in April 2021.

Taylor Rose MW‘s clinical negligence and personal injury team is led by Joanna Bailey – who has a strong reputation acting for claimants who have suffered serious brain injuries in road traffic accidents or for their bereaved families – with Caroline Kempster as deputy lead. Many team members are APIL-accredited. The group’s workload involves cases from minor accidents to those of the utmost severity, and predominantly involves road traffic and workplace accident claims leading to serious injuries. ‘Standout’ Ian Latimer has particular experience acting on complex stress-at-work psychological injury claims.

The team at Thompsons Solicitors LLP is co-headed by branch manager Henrietta Phillips and national serious injury lead Samantha Hemsley. It represents claimants who have suffered substantial injury, often as a result of a road traffic, cycling or workplace accident. Issues which the group typically handles include orthopaedic injury and amputation - an area of specialism for Nicola Saunders - development of long-term conditions such as tinnitus, and complex mental health illnesses including depression and PTSD. Christalla Christodoulidou has particular expertise in serious brain injury cases. Additionally, the team has experience in dealing with asbestos-related claims.