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Michael suffered significant injuries when he was involved in a motorbike v car collision.
He sustained multiple fractures to his left leg in the form of an open fracture to his left femur, a hairline crack in the interior rim of his left tibia and a degloving injury to his left ankle.
Michael required 4 surgeries over a period of 18 months to improve the mobility in his leg. However, this has left him with significant and permanent scaring.
Sheldon Davidson Solicitors agreed to invoke the Rehabilitation Code with the Defendant’s insurers and appointed a suitable case manager. The benefit of utilising the code meant he received extensive physiotherapy and psychotherapy which was funded by the Defendant’s Insurers and would not have been readily available under the NHS.
Litigation commenced in June 2018 and an amicable settlement of £105,000 was achieved by mid October 2018
MD acted for a self-employed carpenter who was working on the construction of the new Manchester Civil Justice Centre. MDs client was injured when his hand was cut when using his own circular saw. The case was difficult in that MD client was self-employed and responsible for his own system of work. However on the basis that all workers on site had to wear fabric gloves ( which was pointless when using a circular saw as such gloves did not provide protection and were cumbersome), the claim was pursued on the basis that one of the “pointless” gloves got caught on the circular saw blade , drawing Mike’s client’s hand onto the saw blade. Insurers for the main contractors who insisted on these gloves being worn conceded responsibility and MD’s client achieved an award of over £10,000.
MD received instructions following a recommendation, to act for a gardener and labourer who was injured when he fell over 10 feet from a scaffold onto his head and neck onto a stone floor, when working on a barn conversion for a former soap opera star in Cheshire. The claim was based on the fact that the scaffold had not been properly constructed and no harness was available. Insurers for the Builder who has engaged MD’s client initially refused to deal with the claim, stating that there was a problem with the Builder’s insurance. MD did not accept this and applied to the Court for the insurance company to disclose all the documents relating to the Builder’s insurance, which made it clear that those insurers had no justification not to deal with MD’s client’s claim. The case then settled, with an award of over £25,000.
MD acted for a young Welsh amateur rugby player who was hit by a “hit and run” car when walking back from a night out with his friends. MD’s client sustained unsightly scarring to his back when struck by the car, but fortunately due to his fitness from playing rugby made a speedy and full recovery from his back injury sustained in the collision. The Insurers for the driver of the car initially refused to deal with the claim, as they claimed their insurance on the car had been cancelled and that the driver had returned his motor insurance certificate to them. MD met with the South Wales Police to discuss their involvement and it emerged that the driver had not returned his insurance certificate as claimed by his insurers, as the South Wales Police had retained it in relation to the prosecution of the other driver (which incidentally resulted in a lengthy driving ban and prison sentence). When it was pointed out to the insurers of the hit and run driver that their customer could not have returned the insurance certificate, as the Police had it, they agreed to deal with the claim, resulting in an award for MD’s client of over £20,000.00.
MD was instructed to represent the interests of the family of a Polish mechanic who was working in Staffordshire and was killed in a road traffic accident when the Astra van in which he was a passenger was struck by the steps to the driver’s cab of a lorry that crossed the path of the Astra van. The lorry cab steps came into the van on the van’s passenger side, hitting the Polish mechanic, snapping his seat and killing him instantly. Mike represented the interests of the deceased’s at the Inquest into his death and following evidence given at the Inquest it was established that the accident was in no way the fault of the Astra van driver, that the lorry driver was driving too fast and his lorry did not have a properly functioning speed limiter on it and that the lorry driver committed to turn uphill across the path of the Astra van when it was unsafe to do so. Following a visit to Poland to see the deceased’s son, sister and grandparents, MD collated evidence to submit a claim for the loss of the breadwinner of the Polish family to the lorry driver’s insurers of over £100,000.
MD recently represented a widow whose husband was killed in a road traffic accident and she was awarded over £200,000.00 compensation for her loss. Her husband was driving an articulated lorry on a motorway, making a scheduled delivery to Scunthorpe.
The driver who caused the fatal accident was travelling in a 4 x 4 car began to overtake the lorry and in doing so struck the lorry in the area of its fuel tank , causing the lorry to plunge down the embankment and collide with motorway signage. MD’s client’s husband was killed instantly.
Despite the fact MD’s client’s husband was close to retirement age, a negotiated settlement of over £200,000.00 was achieved for his widow after this tragic incident, on the basis MD obtained evidence that he was a model employee and as such would have worked beyond retirement age.
JE represented an elderly woman who slipped in her hairdressers. She badly fractured her ankle and the long term prognosis was that the fracture would never fully heal. JE exhausted the possibility of private treatment for her, which could not be medically undertaken. However, JE managed to secure alterations to her bathroom to assist her in using this along with a scooter to allow her to have a degree of mobility. JE also managed to seek additional damages for care and assistance and recovered the cost of a holiday which had been ruined by the effects of the injury. JE managed to secure the client £26,000 in settlement.
JE represented a gentleman who was involved in a very serious motorbike accident. Not only did the accident involve a serious catalogue of injuries, but the effect upon the client and his family was considerable not least as it affected the running of his business and his income. A substantial part of the claim dealt with justifying his income from his company. JE was entirely successful in pursuing the claim, which involved a large loss of income and concluded a settlement of £120,000 in the client’s favour.
Mark, a retired sales manager, received £65,000 compensation after a serious accident left him with multiple injuries.
He says he would recommend Sheldon Davidson Solicitors. ‘They did their job professionally and properly,’ he says.
Mark was on his way home after an evening out with his wife when the accident happened. His car was in a collision with another car at a crossroads. The accident left him with a broken sternum, broken collar bone, two broken ribs, two bones broken at the bottom of his back and extensive bruising. It was six weeks later that he realised his hip was also damaged. Mark, who was 79 when the accident happened, was in hospital for ten days.
He had a visit from Victoria Martin, who specialises in serious injury at Sheldon Davidson Solicitors, not long after he came out of hospital.
‘Victoria was approachable,’ he says. ‘The best thing is that you can just leave it to Sheldon Davidson Solicitors and trust that they are going to do whatever is right and necessary for you.’
The rehabilitation code was invoked with the opponent and Mark received extensive physiotherapy as part of his programme to help re-build his strength and stamina to ensure he remained mobile. As a keen golfer, the expertise of a professional golf coach was utilised in assisting the adaptation of his technique. Mark successfully won a local amateur golf tournament in July 2017.
Liability was not disputed by the third party and the case was settled out of court. Sheldon Davidson Solicitors ensured that Mark received the compensation he deserved.
Mark, a grandfather, says the accident made his life a misery. He likes being outdoors and enjoyed gardening for his daughter but can’t do that anymore. He can’t clean his car because he can’t bend down comfortably on his right side. He has a window cleaner instead of cleaning his own windows like he used to before.
His wife Lin, a retired teacher, was more seriously injured in the accident.
Mark says he was satisfied with the amount of compensation he received in the sum of £65,000.00. ‘I don’t think there is anything else that Sheldon Davidson Solicitors could have done,’ he says. ‘Victoria was very good.’
Currently Sheldon Davidson Solicitors continue to seek compensation for my wife Lin.
CH client Mr. H, from Preston was involved in a Road Traffic Accident on a Friday evening when his vehicle was hit from the rear whilst turning into a minor road from a major road.
Mr. H’s own insurers carried out a routine check into his accident claim and had his and the other’s Party’s vehicle inspected. An engineer concluded that the damage to both vehicles was not consistent and therefore the accident was staged and the Claimant had attempted to commit insurance fraud.
Mr. H’s own insurance withdrew his insurance policy. The third party insurers joined forces with Mr. H’s own insurers and rejected his claim which involved damages totaling £28,000.00.
CH took on the case, started Court Proceedings and obtained forensic engineer’s evidence to show that the client’s own insurer’s evidence, and the Defendant’s evidence was fatally flawed, that the accident was a genuine accident which had happened and that there was no attempts to make a fraudulent claim.
The Defendant’s Solicitors maintained their position that the claim was a fraudulent claim right up until three days before the Trial, at which time they withdrew their allegations and paid damages exceeding £28,000.00.
Given that Mr. H’s own insurers had turned against him and obtained what appeared to be forensic engineer’s evidence that proved he was involved in a conspiracy to defraud an insurer, Mr. H would have found it extremely difficult to find the assistance of a Solicitor, and even more difficult to obtain the assistance of a Solicitor who was willing to work on a ‘no win no fee’ basis.
MD pursued a case against the Criminal Injuries Compensation authority for a soldier who was attacked when off duty and negotiated a settlement for him in excess of £250,000.00.
MD’s client was watching one of England’s 2006 World Cup games in a pub when a disturbance broke out. MD’s client went to diffuse the situation and he was subjected to an unprovoked attack in which he suffered a skull fracture and he had to be medically discharged as a result from the Army.
MD’s client successfully pursued a career in computing after his discharge from the Army, but on the basis of evidence MD obtained from the Army as to his likely promotion and continued service in the Army, if he had not been discharged due to the violent assault, a significant award was obtained for MD’s client.
MD recently acted for a client in Liverpool in a road traffic accident where unusually, MD’s client was stationary at traffic lights, when a driver in front inexplicably reversed at speed into MD’s client’s car. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the other driver claimed that MD’s client had simply driven into the back of him. With no independent witnesses the case did not look promising but the case succeeded when Liverpool City Watch CCTV footage was obtained, proving that MD’s client was telling the truth, which resulted in a settlement of just under £15,000.00.
Daniel was 21 years old when he was driving his motorcycle on a dark dry night in January 2011. The Defendants pulled out of a side road in front of him causing a collision. Daniel was thrown over the handlebars, slid along the road, hitting his head against the passenger side of the Defendants vehicle.
Daniel sustained a closed fracture to the right humerus, 6 broken ribs with a punctured lung, severe scarring, a minor head injury as well as soft tissue injuries.
Liability was accepted by the Defendant Insurers.
Daniel was due to commence a new job as an assistant motor mechanic the Monday following the accident. His injuries prevented him taking up the role which ultimately he lost out on as a consequence of his injuries. However he was able to find alternative employment 8 months later once a recovery from most of his physical injuries had been met.
Daniel made a full recovery from the head injury which caused him to suffer with memory loss for a period of 3 months from the accident.
Due to potential future problems with the right arm Daniel would be disadvantaged on the open labour market.
By way of agreed settlement, following negotiations damages were agreed at £80,000.00 which included a substantial Smith and Manchester award.
MH acted in a claim for an ex-army client who had gone out for a jog near his home. As he was passing a couple who were walking along the pavement he tripped on a broken and raised paving slap, causing him to fall and injure himself. The council provided evidence which appeared to show the client had called them and told them a different location to where the defect was, and they provided evidence that the council had undertaken proper check and repairs on the road only a month prior to the accident. We ran this case even though others wouldn’t because we listened to our client and he came across as honest and genuine. We pushed the case to a final hearing where we were able to prove that the Council hadn’t undertaken the proper checks and repairs to the pavement and the person who took the call for the Council was from a completely different area and had simply made an incorrect record of the accident location. In that case we were able to secure the client damages of £3606.
Whilst working in a factory on a guillotine machine Tom aged 20 years severed his little finger and partially severed his left ring finger. The little finger was replanted and the ring finger was re-vascularised, he also required skin and vein grafts during the surgery. He suffered scarring as well as psychological symptoms from the injury and trauma itself.
Tom required a further 3 surgeries thereafter to enhance the mobility of his fingers. After each surgery he required extensive hand therapy and rehabilitation to ensure his fingers remained functional.
It was during the last surgery he discovered an allergic reaction to an anaesethisa which resulted in him requiring emergency CPR.
It is likely Tom will require further surgery in the future due to contracture of the fingers, however due to the reaction he suffered from the anaesesisa Tom was reluctant to consider possible further surgery.
Liability was admitted by his employers.
Tom was unable to care fully for himself following each of the surgeries and relied heavily upon his parents during these periods. However it was identified there were risks he would suffer with some disability as he became older and would need care and assistance with some aspects of his personal lifestyle. A report was obtained from a qualified care expert to assess the past and future care considering the disabilities he would face.
In addition he was unable to work for a period of 12 months following the accident and it then took him further time to find alternative suitable employment.
It was clear Tom would be disadvantaged on the open labour market for the rest of his life and in light of his age at the time of the accident a significant award was agreed to reflect the disadvantage.
By way of agreed settlement, following negotiations damages were agreed at £130,000.
MH acted for a driver and 3 passengers, of which one of them was a child and one of them was heavily pregnant. They were hit by another car near the Trafford centre, Manchester. All seemed well when they exchanged details with the other driver, who accepted the accident was her fault. It was only later that it became clear that the other driver had given a false name and it appears that the vehicle being driven may have had false number plates on. After lengthy investigations and negotiations I was able to secure an award for all of the clients via the Motor Insurer’s Bureau’s Untraced Driver’s Scheme. We managed to secure them a damages award of £11,256 for the family.
Kieran is a qualified Chartered Legal Executive and has spent the last 12 years working in the personal injury sector in and around Greater Manchester. Kieran has a broad knowledge of personal injury, but has specialised in employers’ and public liability cases throughout his legal career.
Kieran joined Sheldon Davidson Solicitors in 2015 as part of the EL/PL department.
Victoria is a Chartered Legal Executive and has been employed by Sheldon Davidson Solicitors since 2002 specialising in Serious Injury and Catastrophic. Victoria started studying the professional qualification of the Institute of Legal Executives in 1997 and qualified as a Fellow of Ilex in 2003. In 2007 she volunteered in the pro bono scheme set up at Bury Law Centre. Victoria’s role was to provide advice on issues concerning civil matters. In the same year she also volunteered to set up the Greater Manchester Ilex Committee and became Vice-Chairman for the year.
Lesley is a Chartered Legal Executive and has been employed by Sheldon Davidson Solicitors since 1998 specialising in personal injury claims. Lesley began studying law whilst bringing up her family and qualified as a Chartered Legal Executive in 1998. She served as a Director on the board of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives from 2001 to 2013 and was elected national President for 2007/2008.
Lesley is also a Senior Litigator accredited by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers reflecting her many years of experience in successfully recovering damages for thousands of clients, and continues to fight for the rights of injured people.
Michael is able to draw upon in excess of 20 years’ experience conducting Personal Injury cases of all types and values, including Serious Injury and Fatal claims for accidents on the road, at work and Occupiers / Public liability cases
He believes in delivering a modern client-focused service, dealing with clients in an approachable but professional manner, aiming for the solution that best meets the needs of the individual Claimant
Michael has been a member of APIL the Association of Personal Injury lawyers for over 20 years.
Whilst he acts for clients all over the UK, he has strong links with the Whitefield and Bury area, having qualified in Prestwich and being a former Hon Secretary of Bury and District Law Society
Michael joined SDS at the beginning of 2016, having previously been involved in management of Personal Injury departments at a number of practices and now conducts high value Serious Injury cases.
Matthew Hassett qualified as a solicitor in 2009 and specialises in personal injury claims. Matthew’s strengths line in his technical ability and eye for detail. Matthew’s caseload compromises of a variety of road traffic accident claims, ranging from standard whiplash claims, to cases involving allegations of fraud, Low Velocity Impact cases, Counterclaims and some Appeal Cases.
Matthew’s approach is to ensure that his clients are always fully aware of every step being taken in their case, while at the same time maintaining pressure upon the Defendant to resolve the case swiftly. If the Defendant is unwilling to resolve a case amicably, Matthew is always ready to take a case to Court to ensure that the right outcome is achieved.
Daniel graduated from Liverpool John Moores University with a 2:1 honours degree in Law and then completed the Legal Practice Course in Manchester before qualifying as a Solicitor in 1999.
Daniel joined Sheldon Davidson in 2013 following 10 successful years at a city centre law firm.
He has a wealth of experience and specialises in all areas of complex Personal Injury law, in particular, road traffic accident claims, motorcycle accident claims, accidents at work claims and public liability claims.
Daniel is a Senior Litigator of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) and an active participant of Lawyers Against Fraud.
Daniel has a firm and practical approach and provides exceptional client care which has resulted in thousands of satisfied clients.
In his spare time Daniel enjoys cycling and travelling.
Catherine qualified as a Solicitor in 2008 and has spent the last 12 years working in the Personal Injury sector managing both fast track and multi-track cases for clients for an established city centre law firm. Catherine specialises in Employers and Public Liability claims, Serious Injury Road Traffic Accident claims as well as Criminal Injury claims.
Catherine joined Sheldon Davidson Solicitors as a Solicitor/Litigator working within our Serious Injury department and has a special interest in high value claims. Prior to joining the firm in 2013, Catherine had developed a keen interest in dealing with claims for clients who have suffered serious injuries including head, spinal cord and orthopaedic injuries. She has extensive experience of handling claims on behalf of clients and has helped them to recover life-changing compensation awards, enabling them to re-build their lives as much as possible. Catherine’s experience and qualifications compliment what is already an established Serious Injury Claimant team.
Tanzeela Aslam is a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers and accredited as a Senior Litigator. Having read law at Manchester Metropolitan University she went on to complete the Bar Vocational Course and was called to the Bar at the Honourable Society of Grays Inn in October 2003. She holds qualifications both as a Solicitor and Barrister.
Tanzeela’s experience is in Civil Litigation including but not limited to Property Law, Consumer Credit, Insolvency, Personal Injury, Contract Law, Landlord and Tenant, Mortgage possession, Banking and Finance and Enforcement proceedings.
She joined Sheldon Davidson Solicitors in early 2011 and now practices Claimant Personal Injury work only. Previously she was head of the Clinical Negligence and Industrial disease departments.
Her Clinical Negligence workload covered- Medical Devices; failure to diagnose; negligent diagnosis; failure to treat; negligent treatment; lack of consent.
Her Industrial Disease workload covered – Asbestosis; Mesothelioma; Lung Cancer; RSI claims; Carpal Tunnel Claims; Vibration White Finger; (Havs ) Claim; Hearing loss; WRULD Claims; Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
She now specialises in road traffic accident claims.
Naeem joined Sheldon Davidson in early 2016 as Financial Controller and is a member of the management team. He is involved in all aspects of the accounts, administration and IT systems of the firm, helping to ensure the firm provides an excellent service to its clients which is based on efficient, robust and safe systems.
A qualified accountant (Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) Naeem has brought a wealth of experience to the firm following 12 successful years as Finance and Practice Director at a city centre firm, as well as holding senior finance roles at other North West law firms and commercial companies where he has gained extensive knowledge, skills and expertise.
Naeem is involved in a variety of charities including Marie Curie Cancer and being the Treasurer of the Altrincham Branch of the RSPCA, a post he’s held for several years. He is passionate about photography, music making and everything to do with PC’s and IT.
Victoria joined Sheldon Davidson Solicitors in 1999 and her career has seen her progress through numerous roles elevating her to a member of the management team.
Victoria manages three departments as well as working closely with the Directors on the continual development of KPIs, advancement and maintenance of our case management system and generally overseeing all processes and procedures. This enables the firm to deliver excellent client service.
Phill is the New Claims and Business Relationship Manager and has worked for Sheldon Davidson Solicitors since 2004.
Phill has gained over 15 years experience in handling accident claims whilst working for various law firms as a fee earner and also working for a major insurance company.
Recently, Phill has specialised in managing the new claims department and developing the firm’s business relationships.
Phill is passionate about delivering excellent customer service and often advises clients who are unsure about the legal process and require assistance. Phill has a major involvement in marketing the firm and also assists Sheldon and Sara with the general management of the practise.
Sara joined Sheldon Davidson Solicitors in 2001 as the firm’s Practice Manager having previously worked in a large city centre practice for over 10 years as a Senior Litigation Manager gaining extensive knowledge, skills and technical expertise in advancing claimant personal injury and road traffic accident claims where liability was disputed.
As a non-solicitor Director, Sara continues to have a hands-on-approach to the supervision and day to day running of claims and litigation overseeing all recruitment, training, HR issues and compliance with respect to regulation and our accreditation with Lexcel.
Sheldon is the Managing Director of Sheldon Davidson Solicitors Limited and is a solicitor of 22 years’ experience.
Sheldon studied for his law degree in Manchester and before going on to qualify as a Solicitor had several other commercial interests. However, due to his passion for law, Sheldon went on to study at Chester Law School and qualified as a Solicitor in 1994.
Having worked in general practice at a firm in Macclesfield, Sheldon achieved his ambition when Sheldon Davidson Solicitors was established in 1997, initially carrying out all aspects of legal work but eventually going on to specialise in personal injury and litigation. The firm has grown gradually over the years now employs in excess of 60 full and part time employees recruited for their professional skills. Sheldon takes great personal pride in seeing how the firm has grown to what it is today and attributes the firm’s success to delivering quality of service with a personal and professional approach and focusing on strong ties within the local community. Sheldon feels a personal sense of achievement when clients compliment him on the excellent service received and comment “you’re not like other solicitors”!
Sheldon remains committed to the firm and its future success championing local strength and independence and remaining distinct from the likes of the larger impersonal work of national law firms.
