Val Jones

Experience

• I am described by clients as "an excellent advocate", a "very shrewd tactician” and “incredibly caring and responsive to needs”.
• I regularly act for insurers and the MIB in handling cases of maximum severity, managing all aspects of those claims, including other jurisdictions arising from the event (regulatory/inquest/criminal as well as civil damages). Those cases include serious brain injury, spinal and amputations, and also include sensitive and significant issues involving duty of care, liability, ex turpi causa, policy indemnity and coverage. I hold in excess of £50m collectively in reserves in my current case load, working with colleagues (and rising stars) Alex Payne and Marie Atkinson.
• I have over 30 years’ litigation experience covering RTA, EL and PL liability and have particular experience in discrete areas of liability involving (e.g.) duty of care (in context of Woodland v Essex County Council [2013] UKSC 66), liability of unincorporated associations (Prole v Allen (1950), Robertson v Ridley (1989) et al), foreseeability in psychiatric loss cases and those cases involving illegality and ex turpi causa (see below).
• I am often instructed in the most sensitive of cases by clients, reflecting my all-round skills of technical and emotional intelligence and trusted adviser. I also sit as a DDJ on the Northern Circuit (last 18 years).

Significant reported cases include:

• Stewart v Glaze [2009] EWHC 704:  RTA:  win on liability where C a PVS pedestrian at bus stop; guidance given on use of expert evidence in such cases – primary factual evidence paramount
• Wallett v Vickers [2018] EWHC 3088:  1st tier appeal following successful defence at trial;  considered ex turpi principle in tort and RTA following leading cases of Gray v Thames Trains [2009] UKHL 33, McCracken v Smith [2015] EWCA Civ 380, R v Jogee [2016] UKSC 8 and Clark v Farley [2018] EWHC 1007

Membership/appointments

• Member of Legal Services Consultative Panel advising Lord Falconer.
• Work with Civil Justice Council and its working parties in relation to costs, rehabilitation.
• Deputy District Judge on northern circuit since 2000.
• Member of BLM special interest groups on fraud, catastrophic injury and occupational disease.
• Chair of BLM’s annual Claims Review and Occupational Disease seminars.
• Chair of BLM's Technical Governance Committee
• Member of BLM’s Partnership Board
• Member of BLM’s Catastrophic Injury Steering Group and other focussed practise Groups.