Personal Injury

Maximum Severity Claims:

All forms of maximum severity claims are regularly undertaken, with a 75:25 split between Claimant and Defendant work.

Average 40 brain injury cases per annum.

15 amputee cases per annum - an invitee of the BAPO (British Association Prosthetics and Orthotists) Conference in 2007. Participated in a Seminar on Prosthetic Provision.
20 Para /Tetraplegic cases per annum.

Values: between £500,000 - £8,000,000.

Majority are accidents at work and RTA claims, often motorcyclists, for solicitors all over the United Kingdom and as far South as Chichester.

Chronic Pain/Fibromyalgia:

This is on behalf of Defendant and Claimant.
Recently in the Court of Appeal Thorp v Sharp December 2007.

Sports Accidents/Injuries

Including football, rugby, cricket and most recently involving a Golf Club.

Diseases

(a) Asbestos - over 500 cases, now an average of 25 per annum, including mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis.

(b) Deafness - over 1,000 cases but fewer now, perhaps on average 10 per annum.

(c) Vibration White Finger - over 1,000 cases, now on average 100 per annum, including the test cases of British Gas VWF Litigation and Burrows & Billington-v-British Rail. Chairman of the Vibration Reference Panel under the British Coal Vibration Scheme [approached and appointed by panel representing the Claimants and Defendants] and asked by the designated Civil Judge in Manchester to sit on some VWF cases to utilise his experience in the area.

(d) Asthma - for Trade Unions and then for Defendant insurers.

(e) RSI - many cases over the years (but few at the present time).

(f) Bladder Cancer - many cases over the past 2 years

Clinical Negligence

All areas of clinical negligence have been covered over the past 30 years including hypoxic brain injury to babies involving an extensive involvement and conferences with neonatologists, paediatric neurologists, neuro-radiologists and obstetric experts.

Co-wrote article in the Journey of Personal Injury Litigation, December 1997, entitled, “Bolam, Sidaway and the Unrecognised Doctrine of Informed Consent”.

Due to volume of other catastrophic injuries, PG restricts his instructions to only several cases a year due to their complexity and time commitments.

Presents seminars to solicitors and organisations including the British Orthopaedic Association in February 2012 for clinical negligence.

Significant recent cases include

(i) Brachial plexus injury exacerbated/aggravated by negligence.

(ii) 5-year old fractured left humerus falling off a climbing frame. Clinical negligence resulted in loss of use of left arm and would have had full recovery otherwise.

(iii) Diagnosis of obstruction and probable carcinoma of the colon should have been made by the medic resulting in significant operative intervention and disability.

(iv) 68-year old man with worsening peripheral vascular disease: misdiagnosis and non-intervention – inappropriate treatment resulting in loss of limb.

(v) Cerebral palsy claim – basal ganglia injury superimposed upon a baby that had already suffered chronic ischemic injuries.

(vi) Spinal decompression/fusion: Cauda Equina Syndrome.

Travel Law

Philip has represented many clients in the field of Travel Law including;

1. Employment /negligence advice provided to a Company based in Monaco - in writing, via video conferencing, and at their head office abroad.
2. Presently instructed in an action v BA for 8 claimants under the Montreal Convention arising from a crash landing at Heathrow Aiport on 17th January 2008.
3. Represented a Claimant in a Solicitors Professional Negligence action involving building a house in Spain on a religious site.
4. Represented 4 Claimants in a vehicle that slipped of a mountain road in Tenerife - one fatality, and spinal/head injuries.
5. Acted for a client who fell off a balcony in a Greek Hotel sustaining a serious brain injury from which he subsequently deteriorated to a vegetative state as a result of clinical negligence.
6. Advised a Claimant who injured herself seriously in a fall in Greece.
 

Employment

As the son of a former full time Employment Tribunal Judge PG practiced extensively in this field especially in the early years of his practice when the law was evolving.

He was formerly the Bar's representative on the Manchester/Liverpool Employment Tribunal Court Users committee and a past head of the SJB Employment Team.

Represents large multi national companies . Several years ago PG , together with two senior HR managers developed the disciplinary procedure for a blue chip company which reduced absenteeism to less than 3% and was described in the ET as impeccable and flawless, if followed by the managers.

Many restrictive covenant disputes ( over 100 ) including professional clients such as solicitors, accountants, and doctors.

Represented many Trades Unions in group disputes and individual cases .

As a result of Direct Access, Philip has advised several senior Employees and Directors directly on differing employment contract issues.

PG is particularly interested in all areas of discrimination and recently represented a Respondent in an Age Discrimination case.

Philip has been invited to speak on BBC Radio on topics including Disability Discrimination; Human Rights; Discrimination generally.

He has also been quoted in newspapers and magazines with comments on specific employment law points.

In the course of employment law practice he has advised sporting organisations including football clubs and sportsmen.

Associations/Memberships

Employment Law Bar Association
 

Public Access

Philip has advised and represented Senior Directors and Managers, in receipt of substantial 6 figure salaries and packages, working for large Multi National Companies worldwide. This has also included Senior Civil Servants and those working in the Public Sector. In addtion , via HR Consultants, he has represented Companies and firms ( including firms of solicitors). This related to exit strategies, potential discrimination, and Unfair Dismissal Claims.

Direct Access

Philip has advised insurers directly in relation to arrangements/agreements with firms of solicitors, as well as maximum severity/catastrophic injury claims.