Personal Injury
In addition to accident claims (road traffic and general, office and factory) Margaret has considerable experience of exposure claims of many types (eg. fumes, dust and irritants, chemicals, legionella, lead, asbestos, explosives).
She has special experience of claims of stress and psychiatric injury, disaster and fire claims.
She has long-standing experience of multi-party claims. She was instructed for many years by the British Coal Corporation as standing counsel with overview of their English / Welsh industrial deafness litigation, and also cases relating to explosives.
Selected Cases
- Hunter v BCC (CA: 1999 QB 140) – Mining accident: psychiatric injury, remoteness.
- Ward v BCC (CA 1998) – Noise-induced deafness: limitation, date of knowledge.
- Owens v Redpath (CA 1998) – Oilrig accident, principles of additional evidence before CA.
- Longden v BCC (HL: 1998 AC 653) – Leading case on pension loss, computation.
- Smoker v LFCDA (HL: 1991 2AC 502) – Leading case on deductibility of pension benefits.
- Crocker v BCC (Mance J, 1995 BMLR) – Burden of proof: Limitation, psychiatric injury, alleged 20+ year delayed onset.
Articles
- Margaret Bickford Smith QC has contributed to the May 2016 edition of The Resolver
- Margaret Bickford-Smith QC’s inaugural CIArb Oxford Lecture published
News
- Margaret Bickford-Smith QC to deliver inaugural CIArb Oxford Lecture
- AB (a child) v Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust
Qualifications
- MA (Oxon)
- Recorder (Civil and Criminal cases)
- Queens Counsel 2003
Memberships
- Bencher of the Inner Temple
- CIArb Mediation Panel
- Vice-Chair, Inns Conduct Committee 2009
Recommendations
“Highly experienced in clinical negligence as well as injury and disease work.”
Legal 500 2014
“Committed…utterly dependable…has a fantastic manner with clients.”
Legal 500 2010
“Recommended where complex care and social issues are involved.”
Legal 500 2009
