Back Up Legal Panel
“Finding the right solicitor is so important. It’s not all about the money, it’s the tools they can give you in getting a better life”
Sustaining a spinal cord injury is a traumatic experience with a lot to cope with. It can often bring added pressures in the short term when you have a legal case alongside that.
What is the Back Up Legal Panel?
The Back Up Legal Panel is a group of Legal Firms that we trust, and that have chosen to support Back Up’s mission of transforming lives.
We know these firms have a high level of expertise working with people who have sustained a spinal cord injury, and we want to help you find the best solicitor for you and your personal circumstances.
Our Legal Panel Members will work to ensure you;
- Are with a solicitor that has experience in SCI
- Have access to appropriate legal advice and representation
- Are supported through legal proceedings relating to your SCI
- Can access financial entitlements, healthcare and additional rehabilitation
- Are able to pursue a fair compensation claim
How does it work?
Below you can see the panel members logos, click on their logos to find out more about the different firms. We always recommend that anyone seeking legal advice in relation to a spinal cord injury should always speak to at least two or three firms before coming to a decision. If you live in Scotland the law differs from England and Wales and you should instruct a firm who has jurisdiction in Scotland.
Click on the logos and follow their links to learn more and get in touch.
Our Panel Members
Main Contact: Helen Clifford
hclifford@helencliffordlaw.co.uk
01483 399125
Helen Clifford is a multi award winning solicitor with a reputation for securing exceptional results for her clients. They are at the heart of everything she does. Unlike some firms, we do not take a percentage of your compensation.
Clients’ feedback includes, “she is the best of the best” and “she is simply one of the kindest, most caring and intelligent people I have ever dealt with”.
There is life after injury and an essential part of our role is to empower our clients to achieve that. In addition to supporting Back Up, Helen Clifford Law is proud to sponsor Claire Lomas MBE. Since suffering a SCI Claire has become a prolific fundraiser and challenge seeker.
We offer a bespoke service to ensure that we meet our clients’ needs and that they are supported throughout the claims process for personal injury and medical negligence claims.
Main Contact: Dan Herman dherman@stewartslaw.com
020 7822 8000
Stewarts is the UK’s leading spinal cord injury firm, acting for more people with spinal cord injury than any other law firm in the UK. We only act for clients who have sustained life-changing injuries. Our lawyers typically act for just 10-12 clients at any one time, ensuring that we give all our complex cases the time and attention they deserve.
We regularly obtain interim payments to fund rehabilitation, adapt or purchase accommodation, pay for equipment and set up care regimes.
We have a dedicated pro bono department which works in parallel to the lawyers handling our clients’ claims. Our pro bono lawyers can assist with all kinds of legal and practical issues such as insurance, welfare benefits and finances to help alleviate some of the anxieties experienced by our clients and their families.
We have been ranked the No1 personal injury law firm in the two main independent legal directories, The Legal 500 and Chambers, for over 20 years.
Main Contact: Julia Eyton
07970 378412 or 01704 515522
https://www.fletcherssolicitors.co.uk/
At Fletchers, our specialist spinal cord injury solicitors have secured multi-million pound settlements for those who have suffered a serious injury. We offer genuine support throughout the legal process to ensure the journey is as smooth as possible.
Our Court of Protection team offers long-term support; including life planning and financial management, for those who no longer have the mental capacity to make their own decisions.
Peter Rigby leads the Medical Negligence Serious Injuries team; specialising in life-changing injuries caused by medical mistakes. We also have a large personal injury department, led by Director of Personal Injury, Andrew Clark.
Main Contact: Denise Stephens
denise.stephens@shoosmiths.co.uk 03700 86 6245 or
https://www.shoosmiths.com/
Established for over 165 years, the firm has offices in Birmingham, Manchester, London, Leeds, Milton Keynes, Northampton, Nottingham, Reading, Southampton, Edinburgh and Belfast.
Nationally, the firm was cited as ‘the leading specialist clinical negligence firm in the country’ in the Legal 500’s Private Client practice rankings 2017 and Shoosmiths Solicitors personal injury team have similarly acknowledged expertise in spinal cord injuries and serious brain injury cases.
Our specialist lawyers have achieved some of the highest ever financial settlements in SCI cases but we also understand that compensation should not be our only priority. Ensuring our clients and their families have access the best possible medical care and rehabilitation support for as long as they need it is equally essential.
Our expertise in litigation is complemented by our ability to provide a single-source for assistance with all the related issues families may face, such as the provision of specialist aids or equipment and modifications to or buying a new home.
By calling on the skills of colleagues across the firm, we can also help in securing continuing entitlement to state benefits through appropriate Trusts, making a Will, appointing a professional deputy or making applications to the Court of Protection, as well as fighting for Special Educational Needs provision if needed.
Main Contact: Stephen Nye – Birmingham Office
Email Stephen or call on 0121 214 5430
Main Contact: James Davies – Welsh Office
james.davies@irwinmitchell.com or call on 07730196455
Irwin Mitchell Solicitors are one of the UK’s most respected and successful law firms, with an independent recognised personal injury team who have a unique specialism in spinal cord injuries. We understand that compensation is only part of the story, and we help support our clients and their families to help them access the best possible medical care and rehabilitation to make the best recovery possible. Each year our clients rely on our nationally recognised personal injury teams to fight fearlessly to protect their best interests, reaching an outcome that can make a real difference to them and their families.
Newcastle – Fran Mayes – 0191 279 0093 francesca.mayes@IrwinMitchell.com
Sheffield – Rachael Aram – 0114 274 4307 rachael.aram@IrwinMitchell.com
Leeds – Carolyn Heaton – 0113 220 6231 carolyn.heaton@irwinmitchell.com
Manchester – Jonathan Betts – 0161 838 3055 jonathan.betts@irwinmitchell.com
Bristol – James Davies – 0117 926 1551 james.davies@irwinmitchell.com
Southampton – Claire Howard – 02380 930704 claire.howard@irwinmitchell.com
Cambridge – Ruth Booy – 01223 791828 ruth.booy@irwinmitchell.com
London – Chani Dhaliwal – 0207 421 4752 charankamal.dhaliwal@IrwinMitchell.com
Main Contact: Raquel Siganporia
Raquel.Siganporia@aspirelaw.co.uk 0800 030 20 40
Aspire Law is the only law firm in the UK dealing exclusively with spinal cord injury claims. Our specialist spinal cord injury solicitors work only with clients that have a spinal cord injury. They are genuine experts in this field. The financial results we get for our clients are the highest possible. Aspire Law contributes 50% of any profits to Aspire charity every year to help improve and expand on their services to the spinally injured community. This socially responsible model ensures fairness and support for those with and without personal injury claims.
Main Contact: Daniel Easton
deaston@leighday.co.uk 020 7650 1226
Manchester: Andrew Zajac
0161 672 5217 AZajac@leighday.co.uk
Leigh Day act exclusively for claimants who have been injured or treated unlawfully by others, which means that we only act for individuals, and never for corporate bodies or insurance companies. Our ethos is that the ordinary person should have just as good quality legal advice as our state bodies, insurers and multi-nationals.
The firm undertakes a broad range of civil law work which touches on the spinal cord injured community including Personal Injury, Clinical Negligence, Human Rights, Employment and Discrimination, Product Liability.
Our aim is to achieve the best possible outcome for our clients and their families to enable them to rebuild their lives.
Main Contact: Janice Gardner
Janice.Gardner@russell-cooke.co.uk 020 8789 9111
Russell-Cooke is a top 100 law firm with a reputation for securing excellent results for our clients.
The Personal Injury Team has real expertise in all aspects of personal injury and medical negligence litigation with a wealth of knowledge in these fields to draw upon. Their particular strength is their medical understanding and how they use that knowledge to maximize awards. hey know how to support clients and their families coming to terms with spinal cord injuries and they know how to make the most of damages awards. The team has a profound knowledge of the financial and rehabilitative support that is needed for a client with catastrophic injuries and will pursue early interim payments to fund rehabilitation, adapt or purchase accommodation and ensure that appropriate care is in place.
Russell-Cooke is a “one stop shop”: a broach church with many different specialist departments equally committed to supporting clients with the often-overwhelming challenges they face after a life changing injury.
“The firm makes real efforts to cater to the bespoke needs of clients and has a clear understanding of specific needs and expectations.” Chambers UK
“A team consisting of clear leaders in their field” - Legal 500
Main Contact: Cari Sowden-Taylor/Ciaran McCabe
seriousinjury@hughjames.com or call on 033 3016 2222
At Hugh James, we have extensive experience in handling compensation claims for individuals who have suffered spinal cord injuries.
We recognise that the situation post spinal cord injury is often complex and so our specialist solicitors seek to obtain early interim payments to fund what is needed post injury, whether it’s supplementing lost income, putting in place private care, therapies and treatment, accommodation or specialist transport.
We are accredited by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) and are members of the Law Society. Our solicitors have been consistently ranked in the top tiers by the independent legal guides, Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners and are recognised as leaders in the field of personal injury and specifically spinal cord litigation.
We work closely with many charities and as a full service law firm, we are able to support our clients’ needs.
Our Scottish panel
Main Contact: Kim Leslie – Scotland
kim.leslie@irwinmitchell.com or call on 08081597600
Email David or call on 01413 004 310
Irwin Mitchell Solicitors are one of the UK’s most respected and successful law firms, with an independent recognised personal injury team who have a unique specialism in spinal cord injuries. We understand that compensation is only part of the story, and we help support our clients and their families to help them access the best possible medical care and rehabilitation to make the best recovery possible. Each year our clients rely on our nationally recognised personal injury teams to fight fearlessly to protect their best interests, reaching an outcome that can make a real difference to them and their families.
Main Contact: Chris Stewart
Chris.stewart@digbybrown.co.uk 0141 566 9541 or 07973 977 638
www.digbybrown.co.uk/spinal-injury-claims
Digby Brown Solicitors are experts at helping people who have been injured through no fault of their own.
We have seven local offices – Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Inverness, Kirkcaldy, Aberdeen and Ayr.
Our mission is to ensure that when you come to us you will receive the very best legal advice and service.
Because if it matters to you, it matters to Digby Brown.
