Simon Cradick

Experience

• I have over 30 years' experience of defendant personal injury work.
• In particular I advise on occupational disease and higher value employers' liability, public liability and road traffic claims.
• I also advise on product liability, olicy issues and interpretation.
• I am listed in Chambers as Band 1 "Leading Individual", Defendant Personal Injury in Wales, every year since 2001

Personal injury claims

• Conducted settlement of claim for girl left paraplegic at age of 6 days, settled when aged 5.
• Successfully defended at trial claim by employee left paraplegic after accident at work.
• Investigated and resisted claim from paraplegia victim against water company.
• Authority on Occupiers' Liability Act claims
• Conducted many Fatal Accident Act claims
• Recently defended a FAA claim involving valuation of intellectual property held by US resident. Claim for £2.3m but settled for £600,000
• Successfully investigated and resisted several and varied other claims against health authorities and other public and private bodies for stress at work, including trial wins and Court of Appeal win.
• Investigated and successfully defended stress claim worth well over £1m. Also a stress claim worth over £0.5m against public body, discontinued and costs recovered.
• Successfully investigated and defended many "RSI" claims; also handled claims for cumulative back injuries in the absence of accidental injury.

Disease claims

• Investigated and conducted the defence of a mesothelioma claim on grounds of de minimis exposure to asbestos, discontinued shortly before trial.
• Currently acting for a local authority defendant in proceedings in the Supreme Court regarding the meaning and effect of EL policies in mesothelioma claims
• Investigated and settled one of the first claims for mesothelioma for a family member other than the spouse allegedly due to secondary exposure. The Claimant as a child had been exposed to fibres brought home on his father's clothes.
• Handled many claims for mesothelioma and other conditions caused by asbestos exposure; also mesothelioma claim allegedly caused by exposure to zeolites.
• Investigated a claim for scrotal and lung cancer allegedly due to contact with highly refined mineral oils at work (not acknowledged as being carcinogenic).
• Investigated and secured discontinuance of claim for injuries due to EMF (electromagnetic fields).
• Handled various claims for occupational asthma and other respiratory conditions, also dermatitis, allegedly due to chemical exposures.
• Advised on potential test case for date of knowledge of HAVS in motor repair industry, discontinued shortly before trial.

Policy issues

• Handled several claims involving disputes with policyholders over extent of EL insurance cover, involving investigation of evidence of cover and advising insurers; including conduct of Part 20 proceedings against insurers
• Advised and acted in dispute between insurers over the meaning and effect of the Third Council Directive as regards claims at work (motor or EL).
• Has advised on insurer's liability under various policies.

Membership/appointments

• Secretary of Welsh Personal Injury Lawyers Association.

Significant reported cases

• AXA Insurance UK PLc v Norwich Union Insurance Ltd [2007] EWHC 1046 (Comm)
• EL Trigger Litigation (for Reading CBC)