Leading Associates

Personal injury: pursuer in Scotland

Digby Brown LLP

Housing a sizeable team of highly experienced practitioners spread across the firm’s seven offices in Scotland, the practice at Digby Brown LLP is collectively steered by Fraser Oliver, Brian Castle, Mark Gibson, Gordon Dalyell, Chris Stewart, Euan Love, and Dawn McCafferty. Praised as ‘the best personal injury firm in Scotland’, the team regularly handles complex occupational injury and related cross-border litigation, with ‘impressive breadth and depth of experience’ in historical abuse claims, catastrophic injury and occupational hazard mandates. Neil Davidson is another key contact in the team and assists on RTA cases.

Responsables de la pratique:

Fraser Oliver; Brian Castle; Mark Gibson; Gordon Dalyell; Chris Stewart; Euan Love; Dawn McCafferty


Autres avocats clés:

Neil Davidson


Les références

‘The team is excellent. They have a strong commitment to being the best in the sector and doing the best for their clients. There is a particularly strong commitment to high quality training for all members of their team and that shows through in the success that they have.’

‘Fraser Oliver – there is not a better managing partner. Always thinking and always listening. The success of Digby Brown stands in part on his shoulders.’

‘By some distance the best personal injury firm in Scotland. They put far more resource into their cases than any other firm and have excellent systems in place.’

Principaux clients

Spinal Injuries Scotland


Asbestos Action


Principaux dossiers


  • Secured £1.67million for disabled man who suffered compound fractures to both legs after being tipped from his wheelchair by an agent during a manually escorted disembarkation from an airplane.
  • Acted in an employer’s liability case where we secured £1.2million for an aircraft mechanic who suffered a brain injury due to an accident at work.
  • Acted in a RTA case where we recovered £1.675million for family of a woman who was killed by a driver who ran a red light.

Balfour+Manson LLP

The personal injury team at Balfour+Manson LLP maintains a first-class offering in cross-border occupational liability cases, traumatic brain injury mandates and serious RTA mandates. ‘Exceptional partnersDavid Short and David McIntosh jointly lead the team; Short has a track record in handling aviation cases, in addition to workplace and disease claims, while McIntosh has experience in catastrophic injury mandates. Ann Logan acts for clients in catastrophic and fatal injury cases, while other key contacts in the group include Peter Littlefair, Julie Clark-Spence, and Michaela Guthrie, who regularly advise on medical negligence, occupier’s liability and offshore accident cases.

Responsables de la pratique:

David Short; David McIntosh


Autres avocats clés:

Ann Logan; Peter Littlefair; Julie Clark-Spence; Michaela Guthrie


Les références

‘Ann Logan dealt with the claim with professionalism, compassion and sensitivity throughout, so making a painful and arduous process easier to deal with.’

‘Balfour+Manson are well known for having an excellent personal injury team who provide a wonderful service. The team is led by exceptional partners who are approachable and very supportive of their junior colleagues.’

‘David McIntosh is a specialist in personal injury. He is used to acting in the most serious and complex of personal injury claims. He is, as would be expected, a great lawyer. His cases are well-prepared and no stone is left unturned.’

Harper Macleod LLP

Harper Macleod LLP’s ‘exceptional’ personal injury team provides support to clients on road traffic accident cases, in addition to employers’ and public liability mandates and catastrophic injury claims. ‘Extremely able and experienced’ Heather Calderwood spearheads the practice, leading on employers’ liability, catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases. Calderwood is assisted by ‘outstanding’ personal injury specialist Amy Dickson, who regularly advises on occupational hazard matters. Craig McKellar is another key contact in the group.

Responsables de la pratique:

Heather Calderwood


Autres avocats clés:

Amy Dickson; Craig McKeller; Elizabeth Mitchell


Les références

‘I worked with Heather McLeod on a case and she left no stone unturned in her investigations and pursuit of the best possible outcome.’

‘Heather Calderwood is extremely able and experienced. She is an iron fist in a velvet glove, as she maintains good relationships with those she works with, including in negotiations with opponents, whist having a razor sharp focus on the best outcome for her client.’

‘Harper Macleod has an exceptional personal injury team. Great strength in depth. Cases are prepared with skill and care. Excellent client handling skills at all levels within the team.’

Lindsays

Lindsays acts for an impressive roster of major medical and insurance clients, advising on the full range of product, public, and employer’s liability mandates. David Armstrong leads the team and specialises in high-value fatal claims and overseas accidents, while Jonathan Cornwell handles catastrophic injury claims and Lauren Pasi focuses on matters concerning workplace bullying and harassment. ‘Standout’ Rachel Holt is another key contact in the team, who advises on public liability cases.

Responsables de la pratique:

David Armstrong


Autres avocats clés:

Jonathan Cornwell; Lauren Pasi; Rachel Holt; Jamie McGill


Les références

‘The team have been amazing.’

‘Rachel Holt is a standout. She is proactive, has great insight and she is familiar with all aspects of her cases.’

‘Jonathan Cornwell is very experienced and is unfazed by any complexities that may arise in a case.’

Principaux clients

Calio Claims


First Central Insurance Management


Lindsays Alliance


Society of Radiographers


LIM Insurance


Law Society of Scotland


The Legal Advice Group


Trust Claims


The Scottish Vaccine Injury Group


SGCUK


Principaux dossiers


  • Acted in a £4 million claim for a pedestrian run over by a bus.
  • Acted in a claim for £1million for serious physical and psychological injuries sustained by 3-year-old child in RTA involving multiple fatalities.
  • Acted in a £1m claim for a diving accident.

Thorntons Law LLP

Showcasing a ‘wealth of experience’, the practice at Thorntons Law LLP regularly represents clients in high-value catastrophic injury and occupational hazard cases, in addition to handling RTAs and public liability claims. Dundee-based Gordon McBean heads the personal injury claims practice, while Clare MacPherson leads the Edinburgh team. Other key contacts in the group include solicitor advocate Michelle Adam, Kathleen-Erin Lawson and Richard Poole.

Responsables de la pratique:

Gordon McBean


Autres avocats clés:

Clare MacPherson; Michelle Adam; Kathleen-Erin Lawson; Richard Poole; Gary Mannion


Les références

‘A well-rounded team in terms of experience. Each individual is easy to work with and they are well regarded in the industry.’

‘Kathleen-Erin Lawson is very approachable and organised. Extremely good with clients and works well under pressure.’

‘The team are friendly, approachable and accessible. They are pragmatic and reasonable to deal with, having the respect of their peers. They have good communication resources, and a fantastic team structure to ensure efficient case progression.’

Principaux dossiers


  • Advised a client who suffered severe arm injuries as a result of road traffic collision resulting in high six figure settlement.
  • Succeeded in a court action for a client’s loss of hearing sustained due to exposure to noise alarm in her workplace.
  • Advised a client who suffered serious injury after being struck by motorcycle on a country road resulting in strong settlement.

Anderson Strathern

Co-led by ‘exemplary’ Gary Burton, Anderson Strathern’s personal injury team sits within the firm’s wider dispute resolution practice, handling a broad range of mandates, from fatal claims and catastrophic injury cases to claims against local authorities, workplace accidents and road traffic collisions. Key contacts include practice co-heads Catriona Watt and Robert CarrRobbie Wilson, who spearheads the medical negligence practice and assists with brain injury cases, and Jane Pothan.

Responsables de la pratique:

Gary Burton; Catriona Watt; Robert Carr


Autres avocats clés:

Robbie Wilson; Jane Pothan


Les références

‘Gary Burton has been exemplary. He is professional and highly regarded. I would not hesitate to recommend him as an expert in his field.’

‘They are hard working and well organised, and are one of the best pursuer personal injury teams in Scotland.’

‘Robbie Wilson has excellent judgment, superb knowledge and an excellent manner for dealing with clients.’

Principaux clients

Royal College of Nursing


Harper Robertson and Shannon


Quantum Claims


Irwin Mitchell Scotland

With a focus on cases concerning brain and head injuries, the team at Irwin Mitchell Scotland handles a broad range of occupational disease and hazards mandates, workplace injury claims and asbestos disease cases. ‘An accomplished lawyer with years of experience in head trauma and brain injury cases’, David Bell leads the practice, which includes key contacts Nicola McCartney and Kirstin Hill, who regularly assist with spinal injury claims and RTAs.

Responsables de la pratique:

David Bell


Autres avocats clés:

Nicola McCartney; Kirstin Hill


Les références

‘The team are very experienced in high-value catastrophic injuries.’

‘David Bell is an accomplished lawyer with years of experience in head trauma and brain injury cases.’

‘David Bell is very good to work with. He knows his stuff and will make progress with matters discussed. Always happy to be collaborative.’

Jackson Boyd LLP

The Glasgow-based personal injury practice at Jackson Boyd LLP is well-equipped to handle fatal claims, catastrophic injury cases and industrial disease mandates, in addition to historic abuse and brain injury claims. Managing partner Alan Macdonald, who handles RTAs and accidents at work matters, jointly leads the team alongside Dave Berry, who focuses on clinical negligence cases. Other key contacts in the group include Debbie MilneDavid McKinney and Calum Fife, who assists with public liability claims.

Responsables de la pratique:

Alan Macdonald; Dave Berry


Autres avocats clés:

Debbie Milne; David McKinney; Calum Fife


Les références

‘All of the team work well together and demonstrate a high degree of experience in dealing with personal injury claims. They have a wide range of appropriate experts to assist in all aspects of diagnosis, prognosis, liability and causation issues.’

‘Debbie Milne is a safe and has considerable experience in personal injury work. She has great support from her team and in particular, Dave Berry, who has also now been assumed as a partner. Their combined experience and ability leads to significant successes in the successful resolution of complex cases for their clients.’

‘This team is very knowledgeable and one of their key capabilities is looking at a case and identifying which areas will get results for their client. Their rapport and knowledge of medical experts is very good.’

Principaux dossiers


  • Recovering over £2m in damages for the family of a young woman killed in a road accident.
  • Recovering a six-figure sum for a young man who lost the sight in one eye in a road accident.
  • Recovering damages for a client who suffered subtle ongoing symptoms of brain injury following a road accident.

Morton Fraser MacRoberts

Handling a broad range of mandates concerning trauma, the team at Morton Fraser MacRoberts is well-equipped to advise on RTA cases involving fatal and catastrophic injury claims. Jenny Dickson leads the team and Nicola Edgar handles matters involving occupational exposure to asbestos, in addition to RTA claims. Sofia Crolla is another key member of the team and represents individuals in historic abuse cases.

Responsables de la pratique:

Jenny Dickson


Autres avocats clés:

Nicola Edgar; Sofia Crolla


Les références

‘Nicola Edgar is very friendly and gives clear answers to all questions. Nicola has been handing the case in a professional manner, which gives us confidence going forward.’

‘A very professional team, particularly adept at dealing with fatal claims.’

‘The team at Morton Fraser MacRoberts provide us invaluable support. Their specialist knowledge around personal injury and bereavement claims, following road collisions, mean they are a trusted delivery partner of our service.’

Slater and Gordon

Based in Edinburgh, Stuart Cochran leads the personal injury practice at Slater and Gordon, noted for its experience in representing individuals in high-value claims before the Scottish courts. The firm is frequently instructed to handle catastrophic RTA cases, public liability and historic abuse claims. Karyn McPhee assists with industrial disease and asbestos illness mandates.

Responsables de la pratique:

Stuart Cochran


Autres avocats clés:

Karyn McPhee


Les références

‘Stuart Cochran and Karyn McPhee are very experienced and capable, and have a sound grasp of the issues in personal injury cases.’