Christopher Stephenson

Christopher has an enviable Claimant personal injury practice. He has wide experience of every type of personal injury claim, including claims arising out of road traffic accidents, employer’s liability claims, accidents abroad and claims to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. Christopher is often brought into a case right at the outset, so that he can gain the Claimant’s trust and confidence and ensure that the litigation is run as smoothly and efficiently as possible.

Notable Personal Injury cases

• The Personal Representatives of Tina Cantello (deceased) v PPC
  

  Tina Cantello brutally murdered whilst working as a door-to-door saleswoman. A claim was intimated to her employers and Christopher represented her family at a Joint Settlement Meeting where the matter was compromised. The case was fraught with difficulty and was settled for a substantial sum of money. The settlement meeting required frank discussions with Christopher’s opponent and also difficult and sensitive handling of the deceased’s widow, who was understandably distraught. There was a particularly tricky legal issue surrounding the implications of the civil claim on any claim to the CICA.

• Heath v XPO Supply Chain Limited
  

  The Claimant’s mother was killed when she was run over by the Defendant’s lorry. The Claimant was being pushed in her pram at the time. Liability was difficult, requiring detailed accident reconstruction expert evidence. Quantification was complicated because the deceased was a single mother and her parents had taken over the care of the Claimant. At the start of the claim the prospects of securing a settlement seemed remote, but after careful analysis of the evidence and sensible presentation of the value of the claim the Defendant offered a significant sum in compensation, which was approved in the High Court.

• Morris v Glenside
  

  The Claimant was bitten by a patient at the hospital that she worked at as a mental health nurse. He shouted that he was HIV positive. The Claimant suffered a catastrophic psychological reaction, developing a serious functional neurological disorder. She developed severe functional limitations and was very disabled. The Defendant’s case was that she was suffering the effects of childhood sexual abuse. Causation was very complicated and fiercely contested. The claim settled for a very substantial sum following a joint settlement meeting.

• McGregor v EES & Lorne Stewart & PGMS
  

  The Claimant suffered a catastrophic brain injury when struck by a bracket that fell from the roof of a construction site that he was working on. The three Defendants all denied liability and blamed each other and the Claimant for the accident. Christopher negotiated a settlement of £6m.

• DG v Gilbert
  

  The Claimant suffered a serious brain injury in a road traffic accident. What makes this claim particularly difficult is the Claimant’s family dynamics. The case requires very subtle and delicate client management skills, so as to ensure that the Claimant benefits from expert rehabilitation and support in the community, whilst taking account of the anxieties of his parents. The claim is ongoing.

• Heath v XPO Supply Chain Limited
  

  The Claimant’s mother was killed when she was run over by the Defendant’s lorry. The Claimant was being pushed in her pram at the time. Liability was difficult, requiring detailed accident reconstruction expert evidence. Quantification was complicated because the deceased was a single mother and her parents had taken over the care of the Claimant. At the start of the claim the prospects of securing a settlement seemed remote, but after careful analysis of the evidence and sensible presentation of the value of the claim the Defendant offered a significant sum in compensation, which was approved in the High Court.