Personal Injury
Alex handles all aspects of personal injury work for both claimants and defendants. He is instructed where there are difficult causation or quantification issues including competing medical causes (negligent and non-negligent). He often acts where his expertise in clinical negligence, product liability, group litigation and property damage are relevant.
He has particular experience of fatal accident claims including cases where the deceased are very high earners and where the cases have an international element. He has reputation for taking a fair but rigorous approach to the assessment of cases.
Alex advises on related insurances issues arising from personal injury cases especially where there are related product liability or international elements.
Alex is ranked as a leading silk in both Chambers and Partners and Legal 500. He was nominated as Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence ‘Silk of the Year’ by Legal 500 in 2017.
Selected Cases
- The Grenfell Tower Litigation (Current) – Alex is retained in relation to civil claims arising out of the Grenfell Tower. He has advised in relation to claims for personal injury arising brought by those injured in the fire and the claims advanced by members of the rescue services.
- RTA: claimant escaping arrest (Current) – Alex acts for the Defendant in a case where the Claimant was catastrophically injured while running across the motorway to escape arrest. Issues of causation and ex turpi causa arise.
- AA v Groupama (2019) – The Claimant advanced a claim for 200 million euros in this fatal road traffic accident claim. The accident occurred in France when a tyre on a lorry failed. The case gave rise to issues of relevant French law, product liability and quantification.
- CDE v FGH (2018) – The Claimant was very severely injured in a road traffic accident (road rage). He had significant behavioural difficulties as well as severe physical difficulties. The parties took an unusual but constructive approach in setting up a trial independent living. The failure of that trial gave a firm basis on which a proper assessment of the case could be made. The case was compromised.
- AXW v Boultons of Shropshire (2018) – The Claimant was injured in a road traffic accident as an infant but the consequences of his brain injury only became apparent in his late teens. The case was complicated by the Claimant’s residence in Hong Kong which gave rise to issues of the appropriate local quantification using Hong Kong experts and included argument over the relevant discount rate. The case was compromised.
- The Hope Litigation – Three generations of the same family were injured / killed when a bus struck then as they were walking on a pavement in South London. Alex acted for the Defendant and steered the matter to settlement with five claimants, including secondary victims, in a series of round table meetings.
Awards
News
- Crown Office Chambers shortlisted in 17 categories at The Legal 500 Bar Awards 2024
- Members of Crown Office Chambers recognised as Market Leaders in Who’s Who Legal
Articles
Qualifications
- MA (Oxon)
Memberships
- COMBAR
- LCLCBA
- PIBA
- PNBA
Recommendations
“Alex’s attention to detail and forensic analysis of the issues is first-class.”…”The quality of his written advice is exceptional and he is easy to work with.”…”Alex is insightful and provides really astute and valuable advice on the most complex matters.”
Chambers & Partners, 2025
“Alex is a leading authority on all things product liability. His advice is excellent. He’s forceful and his submissions carry weight.” … “Very bright, quick mind, hard-working, a great team player, very good to work with and a fantastic advocate.”
Legal 500, 2025
“Alexander is highly sophisticated, extremely easy to work with and exceptionally thorough in his analysis”…. “Alexander is incredibly efficient. He brings an energy to cases which others don’t, and he is results-driven.”
Chambers & Partners, 2024
“Alex Antelme is brilliant – elegant and not a word wasted”…. “He has excellent control of the evidence.”
Chambers & Partners, 2024
“Super responsive, utterly charming to work with, a sentiment shared by the clients. He is incisive, a font of wisdom and a great strategist. He is absolutely the counsel you want on any case, the tougher the case – the greater the need for his involvement.”
Legal 500, 2024
“Alexander is a master of detail. He is very charming and easy to work with on high-value claims.” “He is very strong on technical issues whilst at the same time being able to explain the legal issues in a clear and concise fashion, which makes him very strong on his feet and in conference.” “Alexander is an excellent barrister. He is very commercial and takes a very client-friendly approach.”
Chambers & Partners, 2023
‘Super responsive, utterly charming to work with, a sentiment shared by the clients ‘ ‘An extremely skillful, powerful and impressive advocate. Goes above and beyond to get to grips with complexities of a case.’ ‘Alex has impressive advocacy skills and is extremely talented. He is very clever and makes a complex issue sound very simple.’ ‘Real attention-to-detail, excellent pleadings and written advice. A polished advocate with an ample charm which hides a tough negotiator.’
Legal 500, 2023
“A fantastic advocate – he is really amazing, very slick, sharp and has the ear of the court.” “He has an absolute eye for detail, is extremely no-nonsense and gets very good results. His opinion is very much respected.”
Chambers & Partners, 2022
“A living legend of product liability practice; extremely sharp, sees bigger picture, speaks with authority and technical brilliance.”
Legal 500, 2022
“A very affable silk with a rapier-like intelligence and the willingness to fight points other KCs might not want to take on.”
Legal 500, 2021
“A very measured, sensible and effective advocate who inspires confidence.”; “A very persuasive advocate with great tactical acumen.”; “His cross-examination of experts is very good indeed.”
Chambers & Partners, 2021