Associate - Catastrophic Injury in Birmingham

This role offers an excellent opportunity to work with Steven Warburton in the Complex Injury Claims Team, assisting on complex high value claims. This role involves dealing with both personal injury and non-injury EL and PL claims as well as product liability cases which may involve a foreign law element. Experience of indemnity, liability and complex medical issues is required and excellent attention to detail essential. Your work will be supervised and feedback given. The role also includes the need to engage with sophisticated senior claims handlers in long-standing insurance clients.

Key Responsibilities

• You will work as part of a team progressing each file from receipt of papers from the insurer client to resolution of the claim.
• The role will include working with the Lead Lawyer to manage a caseload of: EL/PL/Product Liability/motor injury which may include high value and catastrophic claims involving brain injury, chronic pain and fatal claims.
• Non-injury claims which may include high value and catastrophic claims arising from fires and flood damage.
• High value and complex claims involving specific issues of policy cover.
• Communicating with sophisticated insurer clients, dealing with their queries and updating them as the matter progresses.
• Forensic analysis of voluminous quantum evidence, preparing chronologies, identifying anomalies and other relevant information across various sources and categories of evidence.
• Using your existing knowledge of complex injury symptomology to identify relevant issues within medical records in order to instruct medical experts, drawing key issues to their attention.
• Critical analysis of sources of liability evidence and identifying any gaps.
• Drafting concise technical advice on all aspects of claim handling to include advice on reserves, indemnity, liability, quantum and causation issues and claims resolution for strategy discussion with the Lead Lawyer.
• Proactively identifying next steps required on matter, discussing those aspects with the Lead Lawyer and taking action as agreed.
• Interviewing witnesses and drafting statements.
• Liaising with parties involved in claims including the insured, insurer, witnesses etc.
• Drafting pleadings and applications.
• Instructing counsel and attending conferences, JSMs, mediations both remotely and in person.
• Attend court in person or by telephone, attend trials, settlement conferences etc as required.
• Dealing with costs budgets in conjunction with costs lawyers.
• Delivery of agreed performance targets and quality standards.
• Delegate assigned tasks to a Complex Injury Paralegal and be fully engaged in their development in terms of technical ability and achievement of objectives.
• Maintaining case management systems with up to date management information for clients.
• To ensure compliance with the SRA Standards & Regulations.

Skills, Knowledge & Expertise

• A qualified solicitor.
• Experience working in a similar role assisting on large loss and/or catastrophic injury claims – whether in a defendant or claimant environment.
• Experience of indemnity and RTA liability and complex medical issues and causation.
• Experience of calculating the value of a claim using the Ogden tables preferred.

Job Benefits

• Hybrid working (minimum 1 day per week in office).
• Private medical insurance.
• Permanent health insurance.
• Critical illness cover.
• Health Care Cash Plan.
• 25 days annual leave + bank holidays rising to 26 days after 5 years, rising to 27 days after 10 years, option to buy/sell up to 3 days.
• Employer pension contribution.
• Death in service cover.
• Cycle to Work Scheme.
• Tech Scheme.
• Season Ticket Loan.
• GymFlex membership.