Independent Queen's Counsel (Leading Barrister)
Legal Claims for Serious and Complex Injury and Disease
Regulated by the Bar Standards Board.
General Council of the Bar of England & Wales Membership No. 20870.
Severn Estuary from Goldcliff, 4 October 2020.
Theo Huckle QC
theohuckleqc.com
Senior Leading Counsel now in Independent Sole Practice
Personal injury comes in all sorts of different ways and usually when least expected. When personal injury has long term effects on the injured person it causes havoc in people's lives, that of the injured person him/herself, but also in those of their friends and families. In recent years it has become much better understood just how expensive it can be to provide proper care, equipment, and income, to enable the person with the injury to carry on and enjoy a fulfilling life, and to enable those family and friends also to get on with their lives, because it can be exhausting to be looking after a disabled person long term, however supportive those closest will wish to be, and generally not actually in the interests of the injured person to be reliant in that way.
It is really important that someone suffering serious or complex injury obtains expert advice as to whether they can and should make a claim for compensation, against whom, and how best to assess the prospects of success and how much the claim is really worth. That expert advice should be obtained as soon as possible. As a personal injury QC (barrister), clinical negligence QC (barrister), and product liability QC (barrister), Theo Huckle QC offers that expertise at the highest level based on top level legal qualifications and experience, working across the UK and abroad.
A serious or complex injury needs a serious and senior QC (barrister) to help you manage the process and obtain the best outcome, and Theo Huckle QC is that lawyer.
This site is intended to provide comprehensive information about Theo Huckle QC, leading barrister - his background, education, qualifications, specialties, experience and interests inside and outside the law. Please feel free to browse, and of course if you have further queries don't hesitate to get in touch using the Contact details on every page.
COVID19
Covid19 has been a blight on people's lives both here in the UK and around the world, and I am all too conscious of the loss and stress that people have been suffering for many months now. I very much hope that as 2021 progresses and the vaccines can be "rolled out" that we can return to something approaching normal life again. May I offer my best wishes to everyone as you continue to live with serious restrictions, illness, stress, and worsening of the effects of disability generally.
As far as my work is concerned, I work entirely digitally. Most of what I do is easily done in my home office. The restrictions make it less easy to visit people at home, though this remains permissible for work purposes. I will only do this when high standards of hygiene can be maintained so that it is safe, and when my clients are happy for us to meet in that way. It is, of course, far better for me to see first-hand how my clients live and gain a better understanding of their needs. However, we will make do with Zoom etc. for remote meetings when we need to.
Similarly there are restrictions on court hearings "in person", though I have done hearings including trials, with evidence fully tested, both "in person" and "remotely". As a result, I am fully conversant with the necessary processes and systems. We can discuss these matters fully as a case progresses, but you should have no concerns as to my ability to operate fully effectively in these difficult times.
Finally, as Chair of the Bar Council's Wellbeing At The Bar Working Group, I am fully alert to and will always aim to help with the Wellbeing issues which arise from the pandemic and its effect upon clients and their families, as well as upon lawyers and judges and court staff.
How to use this site...
from the links here or in the Site Menu
in the Header Bar above and at each page in the site...
If you are a client considering asking me for advice direct, please find further information here.
If you are a lawyer considering instructing me in the usual way, please find further information here.
If you would like to see details of the work I have done and am currently doing, please use this section.
If you want to find out about me as a person, where I come from and what matters to me, you will find more here, including some photos and videos of me "in action" in various ways.
How to use this site...
from the links here or in the Site Menu
in the Header Bar above and at each page in the site...
If you are a client considering asking Theo Huckle QC, barrister, for advice direct, please find further information here.
If you are a lawyer considering instructing Theo Huckle QC, barrister, in the usual way, please find further information here.
If you would like to see details of Theo Huckle QC's work ie. work I have done and am currently doing, please use this section.
Here you can find the answers to some Frequently Asked Questions about instructing Theo Huckle QC, barrister.
If you want to find out about Theo Huckle QC, barrister, as a person, where I come from and what matters to me, you will find more here, including some photos and videos of me "in action" in various ways.
Types of Work Undertaken
Complex Injury
When it comes to making successful claims in the courts, serious injuries are complex and complex injuries are serious. Injuries which cause death (called "Fatal Accidents" because of the act of Parliament of that name) are of course always serious. By "complex" I therefore mean:
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injuries which are complicated in themselves, such as surgical injuries, birth injuries or death (to mother and/or baby), catastrophic injuries, head injury and brain injury, spinal injury, industrial diseases and illnesses (eg. from asbestos and dust, especially mesothelioma and other lung cancers; noise; vibration etc.) ;
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other rare or unusual diseases and illnesses;
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injuries involving significant and often permanent disability or death;
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psychiatric injuries which have long term effects and seriously inhibit enjoyment of life;
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rheumatological and other neurological injuries such as fybromyalgia or chronic fatigue and pain syndromes, and functional disorders;
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losses suffered by dependants in Fatal Accident claims (which includes deaths resulting from cumulative or "delayed" injury eg. by exposure to asbestos).
To these we may now add claims arising out of the various complex problems associated with infection control, especially of Covid19, including where PPE has not been given to staff most exposed, ie. "key workers" or "front line staff", or where treatment for serious conditions has not been offered properly because of inappropriate resource allocations or reallocations.
See further information in FAQs.
How caused?
Serious injury may arise in any aspect of life, but is often a result of road accidents (RTA), sports injuries, workplace accidents (especially involving falls from height or dangerous vehicles and machinery), or exposure to dangerous substances or agents (eg. asbestos, other carcinogens, heat, fire, noise, vibration, fumes, dust etc.), or medical accidents or failures to treat conditions properly.
Strategic and Appellate work
The technical stuff
Digital working
I like to save the trees, and to stop myself getting the sorts of muskuloskeletal injury common amongst lawyers carrying heavy bags of case papers and authorities. So I work digitally, which is generally more efficient anyway; see here for how this works better for the client. If you need help preparing papers for submission digitally, just ask.
Maximising Damages
In the time I have been practising, the correct computation of damages awards has become an increasingly complex process, though it remains "both science and art". I am especially experienced in and prepared for the technicalities of this work. See more information here.
I have not in more than 3 decades of practice had a professional complaint made against me, but that does not alter my obligation to have a proper complaints system. Please see our Complaints Procedure here.
Next Steps...
Contact Us
Please note I can practise throughout England & Wales and beyond, and like to meet clients where they live, but my "official" work address is:
Theo Huckle QC
21 Old Buildings
Lincoln's Inn
London WC2A 3UP
Tel. 0204 5 428 328
