Lawyers Say They Are Proud to Continue Their Work Supporting Brain Injury Victims

By Dave Grimshaw

Two senior lawyers from Irwin Mitchell are celebrating after being the first in the North East to receive official accreditation from the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) for their dedication to helping those who have suffered life changing brain injuries.

APIL accreditation provides a quality mark of excellence for solicitors and barristers dealing with personal injury claims which helps those looking for legal help to recognise expertise within the legal profession.

John Davis, the regional managing partner at Irwin Mitchell’s Newcastle office, and Fran Mayes, who joined Irwin Mitchell as a trainee solicitor in 1995 and has been a partner in the firm since 2007, have been recognised for their expertise in acting for clients with brain injuries.

To be accepted, they had to demonstrate significant training and experience in the field of brain injury work through case-related work and also commitment generally through external teaching to both lawyers and other professionals in the brain injury field.

John Davis, the regional managing partner for Irwin Mitchell’s Newcastle office, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, said: “This recognition is testament to the experience, dedication and innovation of the serious injury team at Irwin Mitchell.

“It is a great achievement for us and we will do our utmost to continue to protect the rights of seriously injured people.”

Fran and John’s success follows the accreditation of four other senior lawyers from Irwin Mitchell last year. Amanda Stevens from the firm’s London office, Colin Ettinger, Head of Personal Injury in London, Philip Edwards, Head of Serious Injury in Birmingham and Jo Darlington, Associate and Head of Serious Injury in Bristol, were all recognised for their expertise in this field.

Fran said: “We are long-standing members of and supporters of APIL at Irwin Mitchell so I’m incredibly proud to have been selected as one of the first accredited brain injury specialists in the North East as helping people who have suffered such life-changing injuries is something I feel passionately about.

“Brain injury can affect anyone and when it happens it can have a catastrophic effect upon the lives of those affected and the lives of their families. This is something that we understand very well at Irwin Mitchell and we aim to provide an unrivalled level of support and to help clients access to the best possible rehabilitation and care, at the earliest possible time, in order to help their recovery and to provide the best quality of life.”

Read more about Irwin Mitchell's expertise in serious injury claims.