Gareth Thompson
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Personal Profile
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Background
Gareth has an exclusively civil practise with an emphasis on claims arises as a result of personal injury. He acts on behalf of both claimants and defendants in all types of cases. He is happy to provide assistance both pre and post issue and indeed prefers to be involved early in the life of a case preferably in the form of a conference thereby enabling an early assessment of credibility. He is conscious of the practicalities of the modern litigation and is keen to utilise chamber’s extensive telecommunications equipment to facilitate conferences by telephone or video-phone.
Gareth provides papers turnaround in line with chambers stated service standards but is willing to provide tailored turnaround as and when required. He has facilities to enable him to work from emailed instructions thereby avoiding the need for a paper brief.
Prior to coming to the bar Gareth travelled the country as part of his family’s fairground. He retains membership of the Showmen’s Guild of Great Britain. His background has made him appreciate the need to deal with lay clients in manner that is both professional but also approachable. His background has also led to an interest in claims arising out of leisure activities both in this jurisdiction and abroad. He also has an interest in cases involving engineering evidence.
Gareth also maintains a general common law practise and has experience of advising and representing clients in a wide range of disputes. He has acted in cases concerning subjects as varied as veterinary negligence, builders’ liability and conversion of a motor vehicle.
Areas of Expertise:
Email: clerk@stjohnsbuildings.co.uk
Telephone: 0161 214 1500
Personal Injury
Gareth acts on behalf of both claimants and defendants.
The majority of his work is in relation to road traffic accidents. He regularly appears on behalf of defendant insurers and is happy to undertake work involving claims for credit hire charges.
He also accepts instructions in relation all other aspects of personal injury litigation. This includes the liability of employers and public bodies, the provision of advice in relation to both liability and quantum, and the settling of pleadings.
In employers' liability claims he regularly acts for claimants against large, national companies.
He is willing to accept instructions on a conditional fee basis.
Costs
Gareth accepts instructions to advise on and present cost arguments, especially as they arise in cases involving personal injury.
Associations
Personal Injury Bar Association
Travel Law
Accidents with a foreign element:
Gareth is a member of chamber’s Travel Law Group. He is happy to advise on all aspects of general travel law but with a particular emphasis on cases involving personal injury irrespective of the cause. He has a particular interest in cases involving injuries sustained whilst working abroad and has recently advised in relation to injuries sustained by an English worker whilst working in the Netherlands.
He also has an interest RTA cases from the insurance point of view; in particular, disputes arising from the use of a vehicle abroad such as accidents which occur on the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
Gareth is happy to provide solicitors with general advice regarding the considerations which apply when accidents occur abroad in particular those sustained in the course of dangerous activities undertaken on holiday (e.g. skiing, quad-biking, scuba-diving).
Gareth is also happy to advise in relation to Regulation 261/2004 concerning compensation for denied boarding, cancellation and delay.