Jonathan Hand

Call date: 1990

Email: Jonathan Hand

Clerk: Graham Woods

Areas of Law:	Clinical Negligence, Personal Injury, Professional Negligence

Practice summary

Jonathan specialises in clinical negligence and personal injury work. He has broad experience across both these fields and acts for a mix of Claimant and Defendant clients. He has a particular specialism in equine and other animal related litigation and is well-known for his expertise in this area.

Jonathan has experience of a wide range of clinical negligence cases. He is frequently instructed in claims arising from birth injury including cerebral palsy and from other neurological injury. He is currently acting in the multi-party claims arising out of the misdiagnosis and mistreatment of epilepsy at Leicester Royal Infirmary during the 1990s and has been closely involved in the successful ADR process devised to manage the several hundred claims being brought.

Much of his personal injury work involves catastrophic spinal and head injuries as well as fatal accident claims. He has a particular interest in equine and other animal related litigation including claims under the Animals Act 1971 where his considerable experience in this area can bring a real benefit.

Other aspects of his practice include representation at inquests and professional negligence claims arising out of the conduct of personal injury and clinical negligence litigation.

He is recommended in the Legal 500 as a leading junior in the field of personal injury.

Publications

Jonathan has written articles on a wide range of topics for legal publications. These include two articles on the Animals Act which he co-authored with Ben Compton QC for the Journal of Personal Injury Law: “The Animals Act 1971 – where are we now?” (J.P.I. Law 2009, 1-11) and “The statutory defences to strict liability” (for publication in March 2012).

A selection of recent cases

AT v. A Strategic Health Authority – Birth injury.
Acted for claimant with severe cerebral palsy. Liability and quantum disputed. Settled for £6.3 million (capitalised value of PPO and lump sum). Led by Christopher Wilson-Smith QC.

Jones v. Baldwin (Cardiff County Court, 12/10/2010: transcript available on Westlaw)
Riding accident. Claim under the Animals Act 1971. Acted for defendant horse owner. Defendant successfully relied on statutory defences to strict liability under sections 5(1) and 5(2) of the Animals Act.

Agard v. Horrocks – RTA.
Acted for claimant who suffered catastrophic injuries in RTA (brain injury, blindness, above knee amputation of left leg). Settled for capitalised value of £6.82 million (before agreed liability discount). Issues relating to security for PPO. Led by Christopher Wilson-Smith QC.

Davenport v. Farrow [2010] EWHC 550 (QB)
Sports injury. Acted for claimant, former international youth athlete, in claim against coach arising from vertebral stress fractures alleged to have been sustained during training and which ended his career.

Palmer v. Cornwall County Council [2009] EWCA Civ 456
Injury to pupil during school break time. Acted for defendant local authority in claim brought by year 9 pupil who suffered eye injury when struck by stone thrown by another pupil. Liability disputed. Issues on appeal concerning standard of supervision required during school break times and causation.