Expertise

Stephanie has over 30 years’ experience in all areas of catastrophic personal injury claims but with a specialist interest in complex catastrophic brain and spinal cord injury claims. She uses her extensive knowledge and numerous contacts to ensure the early provision of interim payments, where appropriate, which in turn allows for rehabilitation and care packages as well as suitable accommodation to be put in place well before the claims are settled. This ultimately helps improve the quality of life for clients and their families.

Stephanie has a great empathy for her injured clients and their families and is highly conscientious and tenacious in her representation of them. She has an acute eye for detail as well as tactical nous.

Recognition

Stephanie is described in The Legal 500 as “absolutely dedicated” and “an impressive solicitor”.

Abbie, one of Stephanie’s young clients who was paralysed whilst a passenger in a car driven by a friend who was both uninsured and had taken drugs said: “Stephanie is the best solicitor ever. I haven’t found this process easy and a lot of the time I couldn’t understand what was happening and wanted to give up but she made me go on and helped me every step of the way. I’m glad the case is over and I got a great settlement but I miss her advice and her care.”

Gabriela, sister and litigation friend of BDI, a protected party said: “Stephanie was like an angel sent to guide me through the litigation maze. When I first met her, I spoke no English having travelled from Romania to be with my severely injured brother. She helped me all the way and was like a mum to me and despite all the difficulties we encountered she fought hard to ensure my brother received compensation to look after him for his lifetime.”

IC, a protected party whose case Stephanie took over from other solicitors said: “My previous solicitors had the case for nine months and and did not obtain an interim payment. Within two days of Stephanie taking over my case she had secured significant funds, which has made a huge impact on my rehabilitation.”

In the Allan case, Mr Justice Cotter QC noted in his High Court judgement that the case was “paradigm of how a case should be run”. Quoting on a recent settlement, leading QC Robert Weir, said: “Stephanie uses her wealth of experience and litigation nous to achieve remarkable results for her clients. Stephanie makes sure the litigation works to help her clients from the outset in their rehabilitation and rehousing. She is a formidable opponent yet extremely collaborative provided the insurer cooperates with a sensible plan for the prompt resolution of her cases. Seemingly inexhaustible, she works tirelessly for her clients; her compassion is evident and invaluable given the tremendous life changes experienced by her clients and their close family members.”

Experience

Stephanie has particular expertise in all manner of complex brain injury cases, having had an extensive background in employers’ and public liability as well as road traffic cases. She is a highly knowledgeable advocate with an emphasis on timely settlements in a wide range of serious injury claims.

Stephanie’s notable past cases include:

• Hillsborough
• King’s Cross fire
• Marchioness disaster
• Cannon Street rail crash
• Lyme Bay canoe tragedy
• Hungerford massacre
• Bright v Abimbola and MIB (65-year-old, tetraplegic – £4.5m settlement)
• Gougam (56-year-old brain injury – £4.5m settlement)
• KYS v Scott Allan (55-year-old, severe brain injury – £5m settlement)
• AB v MIB (paraplegic – £4.2m settlement)
• BDI v Murphy and EUI Ltd (36-year-old, severe brain injury – £5m settlement: automatism case )

Career

• Brian Thompson Solicitors (London office) (1986-1996) personal injury work. Salaried partner (1989), equity partner (1991)
• Rowley Ashworth Solicitors (1996-1999), trade union claimant personal injury work
• Career break (1999-2000), following adoption of children
• Shoosmith Solicitors (2000-2008) Claimant Serious Injury department
• Irwin Mitchell LLP (London) (2008-2012), Senior Associate in Neuro-Trauma Unit specialising in catastrophic acquired brain injury and spinal injury cases
• Stewarts (2012), partner

Accreditations and Memberships

• Membership APIL: Fellow
• Law Society Member
• Headway
• Spinal Injuries Association

Personal

Stephanie enjoys all forms of socialising, keeping her teenage children in check, skiing and when time permits, binge box set watching.