Margaret Bickford-Smith KC

Industrial Disease & Accident

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) damages: leading case on pension loss, computation
• Smoker v LFCDA (HL: 1991 2AC 502) damages: 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 KC has contributed to the May 2016 edition of The Resolver
• Margaret Bickford-Smith KC’s inaugural CIArb Oxford Lecture published

News

• Margaret Bickford-Smith KC to deliver inaugural CIArb Oxford Lecture
• AB (a child) v Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust

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Qualifications

• MA (Oxon)
• Called to the Bar 1973
• Recorder (Civil and Criminal cases) 1997-2020
• Appointed Queens Counsel 2003
• MCIArb 2006
• Accredited Mediator 2004

Memberships

• Member CIArb Commercial Mediation Panel 2007
• Chair, CIArb London Branch 2012-2015
• Chair, Inns of Court Conduct Committee 2012-14
• Governing Bencher of the Inner Temple 1993-