Exchange Chambers, Liverpool
Call 2000 | Silk 2022
Chris is head of the Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence department and a Deputy Head of Chambers. His personal injury caseload primarily involves catastrophic brain, spinal and amputation injuries. As a junior he had a longstanding niche specialism in military claims.
Significant cases include:
- ZZZ v Ministry of Defence [2025] EWHC 65 (KB) – Successful liability trial with rejection of the defences of volenti, ex turpi causa and contributory negligence.
- Owens v Lewis [2024] 3 WLUK 280 – Successful liability trial with consideration of the approach to take with multiple allegations of contributory negligence
- Hadley v Przybylo [2024] EWCA Civ 250 – Lead case on the recovery of costs for solicitors attending rehabilitation meetings.
- Abbott v Ministry of Defence [2023] EWHC 2839 (KB) – Representing over 5,000 claimants and 18 firms of solicitors in successfully opposing the application for a Group Litigation Order in the military noise induced hearing loss litigation.
- GJH v ORP & RPT [2024] EWHC 15 (KB) – Successful liability trial.
- Hetherington v Blythe [2023] EWHC 41 (KB) – liability trial for catastrophically injured pedestrian
- EXN v Alder Hey Children’s Hospital [2021] EWHC 2989 (QB) – Recovery of damages with a capitalised value of £27,300,000 for a child following the Defendant’s failure to identify, and treat, the herpes simplex virus.
- Re. CICA (1.22) – Highest ever award under the CICA Scheme for an applicant shaken whilst a baby.
- Hill v Gill [2018] EWHC 2703 (QB) – Catastrophic injury claim for young boy injured crossing the road.
- Aurora Brown v Lisa Alexander (Liverpool High Court, HHJ Wood QC, 3.8.18) – Lead case on the disclosure of rehabilitation records to medico-legal experts
- Fry v McFaull (High Court, Manchester DR, 12.6.18 HHJ Bird) – Consideration of Coles v Perfect.
- Serita Shone v British Bobsleigh (11.5.18) – Successful claim for professional heptathlete who suffered a spinal injury while training for the British Bobsleigh team. Shortlisted for PI Case of the Year 2018.
- Colin Crooks v Hendricks Lovell Ltd. [2016] EWCA Civ 8 – Lead case on the interaction of Part 36 and the recovery of social security benefits by the DWP.
- Lillington v Ministry of Defence [2015] EWCA Civ 775 – Successful respondent to an appeal relating to a loss of promotion following injury.
- Ifede v Ministry of Defence [2015] EWHC 3835 (QB) – Interaction of the AFCS and limitation.
- Birch v Ministry of Defence (2012) EWHC 2267 (QB) and (2013) EWCA Civ 676 – Catastrophic injury claim for Royal Marine injured in Afghanistan
- Bradlaugh v Ministry of Defence (Lawtel, 29.4.10) – Significant award for NIHL/tinnitus.
Recent settlements include:
- £8,000,000 plus provisional damages relating to syringomyelia for a paraplegic claimant injured in a training exercise.
- £11,400,000 for a C4 tetraplegic.
- £13,250,000 for a C5 tetraplegic.
- £3,300,000 lump sum and periodical payments (capitalised value in excess of £10,000,000) for a young child brain injured in an RTA.
- £2,800,000 net of liability arguments for a below-knee amputee.
Beyond the Bar
Away from work, Chris enjoys fell running and was a member of the British Ski Mountaineering Team at the 2013 World Championships and 2014 World Cup.
Chris won the 2017 British Mountain Marathon Championships.