Ron has experience of all the categories of work undertaken by the firm but has particular expertise in construction-related litigation, product liability work, occupational disease claims, catastrophic injuries and insurance coverage disputes.

He was called to the Bar in 1980 and practiced as a barrister for 3 years before cross-qualifying as a solicitor. After working as an in-house lawyer in the transport sector for several years, Ron moved into private practice with a City-based firm. Ron joined Watmores in 1989 and he has been a partner with the firm since 1990.

Expertise

Personal Injury/Casualty
Professional Risks
Public sector Risks
Insurance/Re-Insurance
Property/Construction
Product Liability
Transport
Health and Safety/Regulatory/Pollution

Personal Injury/Casualty

Ron has nearly 30 years’ experience of dealing with personal injury litigation principally on behalf of Defendants. During that time he has dealt with a great many high-value brain damage, paraplegia, tetraplegia, psychiatric damage and stress-related claims. He also has considerable expertise in dealing with occupational disease work (including at least 200 asbestos-related claims).

Professional Risks

Ron has dealt with a wide spectrum of claims in the area of professional risks including claims involving barristers, solicitors, consulting engineers, architects and pharmacists.

Public Sector Risks

Ron’s experience covers the full range of risks to which public sector clients are usually exposed as well as a number of more esoteric matters involving planning issues, Land Compensation Act claims and Parliamentary Undertakings.

Insurance/Re-Insurance

Over the last 20 years Ron has advised and acted on behalf of insurers in relation to claims notification issues, coverage disputes, non-disclosure waiver, misrepresentation, policy interpretation, application of retroactive cover and the Third Party (Rights Against Insurers) Act.

Property/Construction

Ron has handled numerous high-value claims arising from fires, explosions, floods, subsidence and defective construction such claims include: -

• IBC Vehicles -v- A German Manufacturing Company. Paint shop fire in a vehicle manufacturer’s production plant. Claim for circa £5 million in terms of property damage, lost production and lost sales.

• Various Residents -v- Try Homes & Instafoam. Claim for over £4 million relating to defective piling and the installation of inadequate cavity wall insulation. Acted on behalf of Try Homes. The case lasted a month in the TCC and went to the Court of Appeal subsequently.

• Charter Construction -v- Cedarcare. Defects to houses in Kensington. Claim for £8 million plus. Acting for Cedarcare which had responsibility for tanking basement areas.

• Chapter Group Plc -v- London Underground. Claim in excess of £6 million resulting from alleged vibration damage and business interruption occasioned by Jubilee Line works. Acted on behalf of LUL. The Claimant discontinued 48 hours before trial.

• Oxford Health Authority -v- A Major Builder. Alleged defective construction of a hospital extension. Acted on behalf of the builder.

• Charles Church -v- A Foundation Company. Acted on behalf of the foundation company. Claim for £3 million which went to adjudication where an award of £1.5 million was made.

• Thames Water -v- London Underground Ltd. Claim for £22 million worth of third party damage caused by a burst water main in the London Bridge area allegedly resulting from tunnelling works. 5-week trial in the TCC.

• Railtrack -v- An Engineering Company. Acting for an engineering company in the defence of a claim for approximately £3 million arising out of works undertaken at Liverpool Street Station.

• Carrs -v- A Construction Company. Alleged construction defects involving a BMW showroom. Acted on behalf of the construction company.

• Scotia Gas Networks -v- A Water Company. Acting on behalf of a water company in defending a claim under the Water Industry Act for damage and third party liabilities incurred as a result of a water leak damaging underground supply services.

• 16 Householders -v- A Construction Company. Alleged defective foundations involving a housing development over peat in the Preston area. Claim for £6 million. Acted on behalf of the construction company. £3.4 million recovered later from the consulting engineers and architects involved following a mediation.

• Ideal Homes -v- A Piling Company. Damage to houses on a development resulting from use of the wrong sort of piles driven to an incorrect depth. Acted on behalf of the piling company.

• Steuermann -v- Damp Coursing Ltd. A claim for defective damp coursing and tanking to a musician/composer’s studio and practice area in his Hampstead house. Acting on behalf of the damp coursing/tanking company.

• Slaughter & May and Others -v- Skanska, Siemens and Others. Claim for £6 million for water damage/business interruption allegedly caused by defects in the tank room/fire suppression sprinkler system. Acting on behalf of Siemens. Trial in the TCC followed by appeal to the Court of Appeal.

• BBC –v- A Property Management Company and Others. Acting on behalf of property management company in relation to claim for approximately £500,000 for damage and consequential losses arising out of an electrical equipment fire. Settled at mediation for a £17,000 contribution on behalf of the client.

Product Liability

Ron has handled a number of high-value product liability and product recall/withdrawal claims on behalf of major corporations and insurers.

• A Major Food/Vitamin Supplement Manufacturer -v- A Supplier. A product liability claim in excess of £20 million resulting from a worldwide product withdrawal. Acting on behalf of the supplier. The matter settled at mediation for about 15% of the sum claimed.

• Lovis -v- Hoover. Product liability fire damage case pleaded at approximately £1.5 million. Claim discontinued during the second week of a High Court trial. Acting on behalf of Hoover.

• Numerous Local Authorities -v- A Tractor Manufacturer. Acted for the tractor manufacturer in dealing with dozens of claims for fire damage caused by tractors “spontaneously combusting” as a result of alleged electrical design defects.

• A Satellite TV Channel -v- A Fan Supplier. Acted for a satellite TV channel in relation to a property damage and business interruption claim resulting from a fire caused by a defectively designed fan that had been the subject of a poorly-publicised product recall.

• An International Goalkeeper -v- A Global Sports Clothing Manufacturer. Acting for a sports clothing manufacturer in defending a claim by a goalkeeper for finger injuries allegedly sustained due to defectively designed protective goalkeeping gloves.

Transport

Ron has more than 25 years’ experience of dealing with contentious transport-related claims, in particular all types of claims relating to the rail industry.

Health and Safety/Regulatory/Pollution

Throughout his career Ron has acted on behalf of corporate clients and their insurers in dealing with inquests, prosecutions and environmental claims.

• Inquests arising out of rail-related deaths.

• Shopsearch -v- London Borough of Greenwich. Compensation claim in the Lands Tribunal following a successful appeal against Stop Notice and Enforcement Notice.

• River Pollution claim brought against a rail company by the Environment Agency consequent upon construction works.

• Environmental damage claim brought by a farmer against a motorway extension joint venture for alleged pollution and damage caused to agricultural land and its drainage system. Claims for aggravated and exemplary damages dismissed. Claim settled after payment of agreed damages and negotiation of a suitable remediation works scheme.

• Prosecution of the proprietor of a private care home following the death of an elderly resident due to scalding injuries caused by a hot water pipe in her room.

Contact: rmullins@watmores.co.uk