Personal Injury
Christian Taylor practices exclusively in Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence cases.
He has very significant experience in cases involving Traumatic Brain Injury and limb loss. He has particular expertise in accidents at work (Christian is a contributing editor to the forthcoming edition of Munkman on Employer’s Liability), road traffic claims (the largest settlement to date being £8 million) and claims brought under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976.
Christian also has extensive experience of representing victims of abuse and those with traumatic brain injuries under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme(s).
Personal Injury Cases
- Currently instructed as junior counsel in several cases of severe brain and/or spinal injury with life-changing consequences for the injured claimants and their families.
- Currently instructed as junior counsel in a claim involving a female who lost a lower limb following an accident with a bus.
- Very complex Traumatic Brain injury in a young male, following a road traffic accident. Symptoms compounded and entrenched by a failure of timely rehabilitation. Other complicating factors included cannabis usage, pre-existing neurodevelopmental conditions. Significant settlement at JSM pending Court approval. (Led by Chris Barnes KC).
- Acting for an HGV driver with significant lower limb injuries in which the Defendant was particularly obstructive, denying everything as well as probably lying in its defence and initially serving selective surveillance. Settlement eventually achieved at £300,000.
- Acting for a male whose dominant hand was very significantly disabled in an accident at work. Settlement at JSM in excess of £500,000.
- Male with significant traumatic brain injury following RTA. Issues relating to cannabis usage. Junior Counsel to Chris Barnes KC, in claim which settled for £1.5m.
- On behalf of a former soldier whose back condition was significantly worsened as a consequence of a failure to protect him following spinal surgery. Liability was denied. Matter concluded with a significant six figure settlement.
- Accident at work involving a crane head and a crane operator’s elbow. Contributory negligence alleged. Rejected 50/50. Ultimately settled in excess of £250,000.
- Accident at work involving a defective mini-digger causing a significant leg injury, in which liability was denied by the employer and various arguments were raised. Settlement in excess of £200,000
- On behalf of a solider who suffered significant shoulder injury and psychological as a result of MOD negligence. Settlement of £200,000.
- Male with significant ankle fracture following an accident at work. Negotiated settlement in excess of £350,000.
- Male injured in relatively low velocity RTA ultimately diagnosed with FND. Surveillance was served. Claim settled at JSM for significant six figure sum. (Led by Chris Barnes KC).
- Male in 30s who suffered L2 burst fracture following accident at work. Made a very good recovery. Negotiated settlement in excess of £350,000.
- Acted on behalf of a male who lost an eye in an accident at work. Contributory negligence issues were raised. Settlement in excess of £200,000.
- Complex Fatal Accident Act claims involving sensitive management between different dependants and resulting in approval of significant six figure settlement.
- Represented a man who sustained a significant accident at work and went on to develop CRPS. Advised throughout the claim, including successfully opposing an application by the Defendant to resile from their admission of liability. Following advice the claim settled for a significant six figure sum, notwithstanding surveillance having been obtained and served.
- Acted as Junior Counsel led by Bill Braithwaite QC, acting on behalf of an individual who was catastrophically injured in a road traffic accident. A lump sum was approved by the Court for over £8,000,000.
- Presently instructed as junior counsel on behalf of an employee who was seriously injured when a crane collapsed.
- Successfully represented a male who was the victim of an assault leading to a mild-moderate brain injury. Six figure settlement.
- Acted on behalf of a young wife whose husband was killed at work. Settlement in excess of £400,000.
- Advised the partner of a man killed in a road traffic accident in relation to her claim for dependency. The matter settled for £275,000.
- Represented a woman who developed Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. Advised in relation to the Defendant’s evidence which was that she was suffering from a Somatic Symptom Disorder, as well as in relation to surveillance footage. The matter settled at JSM for £325,000.
- Advised a 60 year old female who was struck by a car causing her to sustain serious injuries particularly to one of her legs. The claim settled for £322,000.
- Successfully appealed on behalf of a female soldier who had been refused an award pursuant to the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme on the basis that her severe calf pain leading to a pain condition, was not an injury.
- Advised a young woman under the CICA 2001 Scheme who was the subject of serious childhood sexual abuse. Following a review offer of £50,000, I drafted the Schedule of Loss, advised on evidence and appeared at the final hearing where £492,000 was recovered on her behalf.
- On behalf of a Soldier injured by an IED in Afghanistan under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme. His final offer from the Secretary of State under the scheme was £25,000. Having advised initially and obtained further medical evidence the award made by the Tribunal was £108,000 along with a significant increase in his GIP (30% to 75%).
- Advised, drafted and advocated at trial on behalf of two prison custody officers who were injured in an ambush of a prison van in Manchester. The claim was compromised on the fourth day of the liability trial against the employer (G4S) and the Ministry of Justice which led to significant five and six figure settlements for the claimants.
- Instructed by a woman who had been offered £60,000 by the CICA under the 2008 Scheme in respect of injury and losses caused to her by the sexual abuse she suffered as a child. Following a conference, I pleaded a Schedule that was submitted, and that led to a revised offer from the CICA of just under £358,000.
- Successfully resisted an appeal before the DCJ in Liverpool on behalf of a firm who had mistakenly served a copy of the claim form instead of the claim form itself. The Defendant argued that service had not been effective. The appeal by the Defendant failed on the basis that CPR 3.10 was apt to remedy any error that had occurred. (Lawtel Document United Utilities v Jayne Hart 8th October 2015 AC0147861)
- Assisted a 36 year old stab victim recover over £496,000 under the Criminal Injuries compensation scheme. At the time of being instructed, the CICA had offered the Appellant the sum of £29,673.75. I drafted the Schedule of Loss, advised on evidence and represented the Appellant at the final hearing. The CICA’s final Counter-Schedule came to a total of around £236,000. Contending for the maximum award of £500,000 at the hearing the Appellant recovered just over £496,000.
- Represented a young man who suffered a traumatic below knee amputation in a road traffic accident. As sole counsel, successfully advised and drafted the documents to overcome limitation difficulties and secure an admission of liability. The claim subsequently settled for £1.15m with Amanda Yip QC advising as Senior Counsel.
- Acted on behalf of a minor and partner in a claim under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976 which began as an associated claim under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. Successfully advised and drafted the documents to overcome limitation difficulties and secured an admission of breach of duty. Settled for £100,000 at JSM. Represented a lady who slipped on ice in Liverpool City Centre and suffered a fractured skull. Fought the case on the basis of a breach of Section 41(1A) of the Highways Act 1980 and succeeded at trial. Claim was reported (Rockliffe v Liverpool City Council, Lawtel 4/7/2013). Settled for £35,000.
- Represented a young man who sustained psychological injuries from childhood abuse and recovered £120,000 on appeal under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.
- Acted for two young boys who had been abused, and who, following initial offers of £3,900 each by the CICA, appealed, and following further medical evidence and pleadings, one boy was awarded £206,000 and the other £156,000.
- Instructed in relation to a very sensitive CICA claim relating to child abuse, in which the initial offer by the authority was £7,800. I advised in relation to the medical evidence, settled the pleadings, and appeared at the final hearing where the award made by the Tribunal was £363,000.
- Instructed to advise on behalf of a pedestrian who sustained a severe brain injury when hit by a motor vehicle, affecting his capacity to perform his pre-accident employment. Advised the Claimant to reject an early 50/50 offer made in relation to liability by the Defendant. Subsequent difficulty with the Defendant’s insurer over funding for rehabilitation led to the parties collaborating at a roundtable meeting, which led to the case settling pre-issue at £550,000 whose terms assumed an 85/15 apportionment of liability in the Claimant’s favour. [Led at the roundtable meeting by Amanda Yip QC].
- Represented a woman who had suffered sexual abuse as a child but who had been offered only £2,000 by the CICA. Following a conference I pleaded a Schedule of £332,000 which resulted in a revised offer by the CICA of £320,000 which was accepted.
- Represented a woman who had suffered sexual abuse as a child. Initially offered £3,300 and then £47,000. Settled the Schedule of Loss and recovered the full claimed losses at Hearing of £159,960.
