12 King's Bench Walk

Stephen’s main areas of expertise: personal injury, in which he is predominantly involved in complex and substantial cases including: catastrophic injury cases – brain and spinal injury, quadriplegia and paraplegia; serious psychiatric injury: cases involving complex care and accommodation claims – Sowden issues. Motor insurance litigation: Stephen advises the Motor Insurance Bureau and was involved in the drafting of the 1988 Uninsured Drivers Agreement. He continues to undertake a significant amount of catastrophic injury work for the Motor Insurance Bureau. He is also an expert in road traffic insurance. Environmental: Stephen had been involved in a number of cases concerning pollution, nuclear and environmental issues including a case involving plutonium and the measure of damages under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965.  Stephen has taught advocacy and regularly lectures on topics such as care claims, and motor insurance and non-insurance, both internally and externally. Insurers who instruct him include the Direct Line group (Direct Line, Churchill, NIG etc), Aegeas, Zurich, Axa, Covea and MIB. Cases include: Churchill Insurance v Wilkinson [2010] EWCA Civ 556, motor insurance, Section 151 (8) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the second directive; Carswell v Secretary of State for Transport & MIB, MIB Untraced Drivers Agreement and compatibility with second directive; Welsh Water v Carmarthenshire County Council, October 2004 (Jackson J) s29 of the Limitation Act 1980; Hall v Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust (2004) EWCA 2748, duties of local authorities in relation to children in care; Watson v British Boxing Board of Control [2001] QB 1134, duty of care in tort; Heil v Rankin [2000] 2 WLR 1173, level of general damages in personal injury actions; Martin v Lancashire CC [2000] 3 All ER 544, transfer of tortuous liability by virtue of the TUPE regulations; Blue Circle Industries plc v Ministry of Defence [1999] Ch 289 (CA), measure of damages under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965 s7(1)(a); Graham v Re Chem International Ltd [1994] Env LR 158, dealing with complex environmental issues – the alleged pollution of a farm by PCB’s and dioxins. The trial lasted 15 months.

He has been a Recorder since 2002 and he is a Bencher of Gray’s Inn.

Called 1976; 12 King’s Bench Walk 1977; silk 2006; also involved in the Continuing Professional Education of solicitors.

Working knowledge of French.

Former Chairman of the Law Reform Committee of the Bar Council; former director of Bar Mutual; Personal Injury Bar Association; Professional Negligence Bar Association; TECBAR.

Trinity College, Cambridge (MA).

Gardening, skiing, walking, reading, wine