The Life of a Serious Injury Solicitor

March 21, 2016 - PRLog -- Jo Darlington leads the serious injury team in the Bristol office, here she talks about her life as a serious injury solicitor.

Tell us about your work...

When I first joined NewLaw I took on some established cases from a colleague who was retiring, as well as taking on new clients too.

This makes my job fascinating because every client is different and each has their own story to tell. The client is likely to require help and support at every stage of the process, which is usually over and above legal advice, which is what I am here to provide. The relationship between solicitor and client in a serious injury case is a very close one and it involves a client trusting that his or her solicitor has their best interests at heart. Unfortunately there are times when I have to deliver bad news, which I try to do face to face, and at other times I convey positive news.

My role can be emotional as well as a practical and a legal one.

How long does each case take?

A serious injury case can take between 2 to 5 years to reach a conclusion. This is because it is necessary to consider, with the assistance of medical and other experts what a client will need in terms of care and support for the rest of his or her life, and whether or not they can return to work. It can be a very long process involving rehabilitation both in hospitals and at home which can include, the help of therapists who are specialists  i.e. occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, neuropsychologists and so on.

Children's cases often take longer to resolve than adult cases due to the fact that they are still growing which overlaps with the recovery process. It is vital to work out what the precise impact of the injury will be throughout the education years and beyond into working life.

How is your office organised?

Our office is on Cheese Lane overlooking the River Avon which is a lovely place to work. We work at Tower Wharf in a modern open plan office.

The serious injury team is made up of 7 solicitors, a trainee solicitor and a paralegal with the assistance of two welfare officers who are experts in advising our clients about state benefits and associated issues, such as the Blue Badge system (to access disability parking). We are a mixed team of men and women, with the oldest being 46 (me) and the youngest at 23.  The team predominantly work for clients with brain injuries and with clients that have severe orthopaedic injuries, which includes amputations, who have often been injured in a road traffic accident.

Across the team we act for many clients who have been injured in motor bike accidents. Their cases have some specific complexities which we are all familiar with.

One of the benefits of working in a team structure like this is that we can all become familiar, to a certain extent, with each other's cases. If a client rings up and their solicitor is away from the office then another team member can help them.

Do you find it hard to separate your work and personal life?

I usually pack up around 6pm and drive home listening to Eddie Mair on Radio 4. I do think about my cases outside the office (quite a lot) but make a point of not picking up emails after 7pm unless there is something specific I am looking out for.

I also do not take work with me on holiday although I have been known to talk about technical points with my husband, who happens to be a personal injury barrister. Working as a serious injuries lawyer is rewarding and interesting. I feel really fortunate to have the opportunity to do so.

Since writing and publishing this article, Jo Darlington has been promoted to Head of Brain Injury at NewLaw Solicitors.

http://www.new-law.co.uk/