I have worked as an RTA Fee Earner for 25 years.
I enjoy working hard to ensure that our clients receive the support, rehabilitation and compensation they deserve following a Road Traffic Accident, and making the journey as easy and understandable for them and their families. Knowing that I have helped to secure the deserved compensation for our client’s is very rewarding.
In my spare time, I still enjoy a game of darts. I was previously a Semi-Professional Darts Player competing on the PDC Tour. I reached number 32 in the World rankings and have appeared on Sky Sports in televised competitions on a number of occasions. I also enjoy a game of golf and attending horse racing at York. I am an avid Leeds United supporter and attend as many games as possible.
Carla graduated from the College of Law, York in 2011 after obtaining a Distinction in the Legal Practice Course. Shortly after this she began her legal career at Pattinson & Brewer, working in our York office.
She initially worked as a Paralegal in the road traffic accident team, before moving to assist in the pre-action clinical negligence team.
Carla started her training contract with the firm in June 2015, and she now assists on a wide range of personal injury and clinical negligence claims of both high and low value.
Carla is motivated by the fact that every client’s circumstances are unique, each with differing needs, and that she can offer advice but also provide support and assistance throughout what can sometimes be a difficult and stressful claims process.
From an early age Carla has had a keen interest in musical theatre and dance. She enjoys going to the theatre and teaching dance at the weekends. She keeps fit by going to the gym regularly, and loves spending time with her family and friends.
After completing a degree in Mathematical Sciences, Abbigail joined Pattinson & Brewer in 2002 as a paralegal in the personal injury department.
Abbigail trained with CILEx and qualified as a Chartered Legal Executive in 2008. Since qualifying, she has pursued many personal injury and clinical negligence claims for her clients.
She is committed to securing the best possible outcome for her clients, and prides herself on providing clear and easy to understand advice by avoiding legal jargon.
Abbigail loves to travel, especially when she can combine this with her other two great loves of watching live music and rugby! Her favourite destinations, so far, have been Rome and New York. Abbigail is also a lover of penguins and a collector of anything penguin related! She has taken part in a number of charity runs.
Debbie started her legal career working as a criminal defence and family lawyer. Prior to that she devoted her time to raising her three daughters and started studying for a law degree when her youngest was four years old.
She joined Pattinson & Brewer in September 2006.
During her time here she has specialised in Police Misconduct and personal injury work. She also pursues claims on behalf of members of Equity.
When not in the office Debbie enjoys spending time with family, live music, the theatre and long challenging walks (especially those which finish at a pub)
Practice Areas:
Partner specialising in serious injury work for Claimants. Considerable experience acting in all types of personal injury work including clinical negligence, major catastrophic injury/disability, and notably spinal injuries. Settled spinal case this year for £4.1 million. Particular interest in industrial disease claims, acting for victims of asbestosis and mesothelioma. Reported Court of Appeal cases include Anderson v Newham College of Education on contributory negligence.
Professional Memberships:
The Law Society; APIL Accredited Fellow and Secretary for the Environmental SIG, APIL; PEOPIL; Multidisciplinary Association of Spinal Cord Injury Professionals (MASCIP)
Publications:
JPIL, Hospital Medicine, The Psychiatrist, Contributor to Jordan’s APIL Personal Injury Law, Practice and Precedents. College of Law media video: personal injury fatal accident claims. Regular presenter.
Career:
Qualified Walker Smith & Way 1996, Assistant Solicitor at Mace & Jones 1998. Joined Pattinson and Brewer in 2001. Partner from 2005.
Personal:
Long distance runner, cyclist, squash, sailing and musician.
Jane Radcliffe is Managing Partner and Head of Pattinson & Brewer’s York office.
A recognised expert in claimant medical accident, and personal injury work, she has a strong commitment to a claimant practice. Jane fights passionately on behalf of all her clients regardless of their type of injury. She recognises that a “minor” injury resulting in two weeks off work can result in as much financial devastation for a low paid worker as six months for someone on full sick pay so “You need to fight their corner just as hard.”
Jane has a long personal history acting on behalf of clinical negligence victims, with an emphasis on actions for children, and the Legal 500 acknowledges her ‘excellent reputation’ in the clinical negligence field.
Under Jane’s guidance Pattinson & Brewer’s York Office continues to build on a solid reputation for claimant clinical negligence work in the North of England. She is particularly sensitive to the needs of claimants in actions for clinical negligence who already feel badly let down by professionals by the time they meet a solicitor.
She continues to act for claimants (including claims for injuries of the utmost severity and psychiatric injury) and advises on settlements, many in excess of £1 million, Court of Protection matters, structured settlements and cases arising overseas.
Notable cases are:-
- Norman -v- Ali & Aziz (CA) – Interpretation of the MIB Uninsured Drivers Agreement and limitation periods for Monk v. Warbey breach of statutory duty claims.
- -v- North Yorkshire Health Authority – £3.25 million for claimant suffering cerebral palsy as a result of birth injury.
- Rhodes -v- Walton – £1m for child injured in a near drowning incident. Claim brought against individual acting in loco parentis.
Caroline Phelan has over 20 years experience dealing exclusively for Claimants.
Caroline specialises in civil litigation most notably serious personal injury and occupational disease claims. Caroline is currently leading on a multi million pound breach of contract claim involving hundreds of Claimants.
Caroline compliments her practice by acting as a deputy appointed by the Court of Protection for brain damaged children and adults.
Client feedback
” Excellent, well informed and updated at every step of the way. very friendly and very helpful all the time ” Mrs S
“Caroline Phelan has given a first class service for which I am grateful. I will miss our chats” Mr H
“Excellent service” Mr M
” It has been very stressful but I found I could speak to you whenever I needed to, you were more like a friend” Mrs J
In her spare time, Caroline is vice Chair of governors in a local school. along with her husband and three children, Caroline is a passionate Welsh rugby fan.
Frances McCarthy is head of the Personal Injury Department and the senior partner. She acts exclusively for Claimants; specialising in workplace accidents and occupational disease claims. She also has extensive experience handling injuries of maximum severity, fatalities, asbestos-related claims, clinical negligence cases and other areas of personal injury. Frances has represented victims in most of the major disasters in recent years.
Frances is recognised as a leader in her field in both the Legal 500 and Chambers directories and acknowledged by peers as “robust and tough, but sensible – a fighter and knowledgeable with it.” She is highly respected by those she works with and, during her career, Frances has managed successful appeals to the European Court of Justice on the question of equal treatment in matters of social security.
Further independent recognition of Frances’s work has also come from two leading international rating services – Super Lawyers, a listing published by Thomson Reuters and Best Lawyers, the eldest peer reviewed listing published in over 65 countries around the world. Their selection processes include independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations.
She is a joint editor of Jordans’ new Personal Injury book, a contributor to the ‘Brown Book’Civil Procedure Rules and former editorial board member of the ‘Journal for Personal Injury Law’. (JPIL). Experienced trainer of other legal professionals, regular lecturer, broadcaster and active campaigner for law reform which retains access to justice for injured people.
Frances is a member of the working party set up by Lord Woolf for pre-action protocols. She is a past President of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL), a former member of the Civil Justice Council; an accredited senior fellow of APIL and a member of Unions 21committee.
Frances and her husband, a journalist, have three boys and she believes this makes her an expert on all matters sporting. She is a keen supporter of Munster in particular and Irish Rugby in general.
Client Comments:
“I wanted to personally thank you for taking over my case and dealing with it in such a friendly and professional manner. It was always a pleasure talking with you…” – Miss W
“… I would like to take this time to thank you for your continued commitment and support over the years. I myself would not have got this far without your continuing fighting for what I was clearly owed” – Mrs S
“…I am really pleased with the services provided by Frances McCarthy. She kept me updated regularly and was always very fair and professional. She took time to explain the legal situation…” – Miss L
Find out more about Frances McCarthy here:
Gary Lightwood is the Managing Partner of Pattinson & Brewer Bristol office. During his career he has specialised in personal injury litigation, clinical negligence and family law. As a personal injury expert he is engaged in all areas of serious accident, disease and injury law and clinical negligence claims and has been an accredited member of the Law Society Personal Injury Panel and of APIL. Gary also heads the firm’s specialist motorcycle claims unit. As a Family law specialist Gary deals with the range of matrimonial, family and Child care services.
Gary has worked closely with and represented Police Federation and Trade Union members and private clients for over 20 years. He believes strongly in the work that he does, representing only claimants in his personal injury work and in the right of accident victims to have legal representation, usually against larger organisations, whether their claim is small or large.
Gary is a member of the Bristol Medico-Legal Society, the Bristol Court User Committee and is the Immediate Past President of the Bristol Law Society