Personal Injury
Colleen is frequently instructed in personal injury trials, MOJ stage 3 hearings, and infant approval hearings. She has appeared in small claims and fast track trials, as well as applications and hearings in multi-track cases.
In addition to her court work in this area, Colleen accepts instructions to advise and draft pleadings on behalf of both claimants and defendants.
Colleen has particular experience advising, drafting, and representing parties in the following areas:
- Employers’ liability;
- Occupiers’ liability;
- Public liability;
- Road traffic accidents.
Colleen also has experience of appearing at CCMCs. She has appeared in the High Court in such hearings and has been successful against more senior counsel. Colleen recently attended a workshop by the Senior Master of the King’s Bench Division on newly-released guidance on costs budgeting hearings PI/ClinNeg cases. Colleen looks forward to putting this valuable guidance into practice in upcoming costs budgeting hearings / CCMCs.
Colleen’s recent work in the field of personal injury includes:
Court Work
- Successfully appearing in an application and directions hearing in the High Court in a multi-track personal injury case worth over £200,000. Matters included the appropriateness of a liability split, and amendments of directions to trial following an admission of primary liability.
- Acting for a housing association in a multi-track claim for personal injuries in which the Claimant made an application to almost triple the value of her claim.
- Representing the Defendant in a CCMC and succeeding in reducing the Claimant’s costs budget by almost 50%.
Paperwork
- Advising a claimant in relation to prospects and next steps in a High Court case concerning historic sexual abuse/assault while the claimant was a looked-after child. Advice included the operation of s. 33 of the Limitation Act 1980.
- Advising a claimant in relation to prospects of success in a claim against a highway authority for alleged failure to maintain a pavement so that it did not present a danger to members of the public.
- Settling the Defence and Counter-Schedule in a claim for alleged failings on the part of a care home to arrange repairs to an allegedly defective lift or to adequately warn its employees of the danger. The claim was brought by an employee who had an accident which resulted in personal injuries and significant loss of earnings.
- Settling the Defence and Counter-Schedule in a claim against an employer for alleged breaches of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1992 which were said to have led to the injury of an employee using equipment which had been provided by his employer, namely a delivery van.
Colleen is a member of PIBA. By attending their events and conferences, she ensures that she keeps her personal injury knowledge up to date. Most recently, she attended their Winter Conference as a delegate. The conference included a session covering the substantial case law developments on fundamental dishonesty over the past year. The session enhanced Colleen’s capacity to handle cases involving fundamental dishonesty.
Selected Cases
View full profile »Awards
- Dean’s Award for Best Academic Performance in MA Law (Conversion)
- Inner Temple Duke of Edinburgh Entrance Award
- Inner Temple Major Scholarship
- Inner Temple Exhibition Scholarship
- Winner of the Aqeel H. Noorali Moot Cup
- Winner of the Oxford Bar Society Non-Law Moot
- Winner of the 2 Hare Court Mock Trial
- Various Collections Prizes from Oriel College, University of Oxford
Events
Blogs
News
Qualifications
- BA French and German (First Class), University of Oxford
- MA Law (Conversion) (Distinction), University of Law
- LLM Master of Laws (Distinction), University of Law
Memberships
- Commercial Bar Association (COMBAR)
- Technology and Construction Bar Association (TECBAR)
- The Society of Construction Law (SCL)
- Professional Negligence Bar Association (PNBA)
- London Common Law & Commercial Bar Association (LCLCBA)
- Young International Arbitration Group (YIAG)
- Personal Injury Bar Association (PIBA)
