Roger Bishop

Roger qualified as a Solicitor in 2007 and joined Weightmans in March 2018 as an associate in the casualty team in Birmingham. He was made Principal Associate in 2019.

Roger has worked predominantly for local authorities and insurers during his career and has over 15 years’ experience acting for the public sector defending liability claims. He has an extensive range of experience dealing with public and employers’ liability claims, including claims for nuisance, highway claims, claims under s209 Water Industry Act and New Roads and Street Works Act, fatal accidents, workplace injuries and stress, accidents at schools and claims arising from the duty as occupiers.

Roger has a particular expertise in environmental claims and claims involving damage to property as a result of flooding and due to the escape of water; subsidence claims caused by tree roots and other vegetation and water; claims for nuisance involving Japanese knotweed and other invasive species, and damage as result of fire. Roger acted for the successful party in the Court of Appeal case of Vernon Knight Associates v Cornwall Council 2013 involving an incident of highway flooding and has experience of dealing with and managing property damage claims in excess of £4m.

As part of his work, Roger is experienced in drafting pleadings and advices; undertaking advocacy  for a range of interim applications and at management hearings; has experience of dealing with injunctions; participating and advising in ADR, including mediation and JSMs; and regularly pursues cases to trial and on appeal where appropriate. Roger has also spoken at multiple seminars and delivered training both internally and externally.

Examples of experience/expertise/notable cases

Notable reported case: Vernon Knight Associates v Cornwall Council [2013] EWCA Civ 950 Defended a local authority at trial in a claim for a fatal accident on the highway which was alleged to have been caused by defective cats eyes and rutting Defended a local authority at trial in a tripping accident claim where there was not considered to be an actionable defect Defending a claim for damages as a result of Japanese knotweed encroachment Advising on multiple claims for subsidence damage to properties as a result of the escape of water Advising a number of local authorities in relation to flooding incidents which have caused damage to properties