John Brown

Personal Injury

John has experience of complex and high value claims, which a focus on catastrophic, spinal injuries and those involving chronic pain. He has a particular interest in claims involving brain injury.

He has experience across the range of personal injury actions including road traffic, employer’s liability, public liability, product liability, fatal and sporting accidents. However, John has significant experience in employer’s liability claims and in particular those arising out of serious accidents on constructions sites.

John also has significant expertise in cases where fraud or fundamental dishonesty is alleged. Acting primarily for defendants in this area, he has secured a number of findings of fundamental dishonesty for major insurer clients both after trial and following stand-alone applications. He also has experience in the use of surveillance footage, telematics and other intelligence evidence.

John also has experience of industrial disease work and occupational stress claims. He has detailed knowledge of the issues that commonly arise in such litigation.

Examples of his current or recent work include:

• Acting for a Defendant in an employer’s liability claim involving a brain injury together with orthopaedic and facial injuries. Neurological symptoms including headaches, dizziness, impaired memory and speech problems. The Claimant has been left with behavioural, cognitive and emotional symptoms and is no longer able to work as a result. Claim currently valued at up to £1m.

• Acting for a Defendant in a claim involving a 2 year-old boy who fell out of a first floor window whilst his family were staying in temporary accommodation provided by the local authority. Injuries include multiple skull fractures and a brain injury (subdural haematomas and contusions of the right frontal and left parietal lobes).

• Acted for a Claimant who developed a chronic pain condition following an RTA. He was a successful businessman whose business and income suffered significantly. Claim valued at around £1.4m.

• Acted for a Claimant who sustained multiple and life-threatening injuries and whose partner passed away following injuries sustained in a serious road traffic accident. Claim (including Fatal Accidents Act claim) pleaded in the region of £800,000.

• Acting for a Defendant in two linked claims where both Claimants were passengers in the Defendant’s vehicle. The Defendant lost control of the vehicle whilst driving at high speed whilst drunk. The first Claimant sustained multiple serious injuries including spinal, rib and facial fractures. The claim has an estimated value of several hundred thousand pounds. The second Claimant died in the accident, leaving behind a number of dependents including a 3 year-old son. The claim (including financial and services dependency) has an estimated value of up to £1m.

• Acted for the Defendant in a case involving a brain injury with an estimated value in the region of £3 million.

• Acted for a 19 year-old Claimant who sustained significant and complex orthopaedic and neurological injury to his leg such that elective through knee amputation is currently being considered. Claim valued at over £1m.

• Acted on behalf of a young female Claimant who sustained an acquired brain injury following a skull fracture in a road traffic accident. Her injuries included difficulties with cognitive and motor function as well as marked personality changes.