Richard Menzies

Richard is a specialist personal injury practitioner whose practice spans the full breadth of PI claims, from trippers to industrial disease, and from whiplash to tetraplegia. Richard is regularly instructed on behalf of both Claimants and Defendants, and has extensive experience of advocacy in the County Court, Coroner’s Court, High Court and Court of Appeal, related advice and drafting, mediation and other forms of ADR.

Richard lectures to both solicitors and barristers on various aspects of personal injury law and has featured on the College of Law’s ‘Legal Network Television’ DVD-based training service. He has written articles on aspects of personal injury law and practice.

Qualifications

Melzer Prize for Physical Sciences (Ward Freman School, Buntingford)
MA, Natural Science and Law (Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge)
Fitzwilliam College Prize for Natural Sciences
Clough Scholarship (Fitzwilliam College)
Bar Vocational Course, very competent (Inns of Court School of Law)
Harmsworth Entrance Exhibition (Middle Temple)
Jules Thorn Scholarship (Middle Temple)

Memberships

Personal Injuries Bar Association
Professional Negligence Bar Association

Interests

Film, food and rabbits.

Background

In his youth Richard was a keen mathematician and chess player. He genuinely loves interpolating Ogden multipliers and crunching the numbers for loss of earnings and pension in a complex Schedule of Loss. He initially studied Life Sciences at University and he is interesting in finding out how things work (and why they don’t). He used to be a keen motorcyclist before one too many “sorry mate, I didn’t see you” accidents caused him to switch to the safety of a metal box. He still misses life on two wheels.

Personal Injury

Richard’s specific areas of practice include:

Road Traffic: Including multiple vehicle accidents, public service vehicles, uninsured drivers (MIB), drivers from overseas/accidents abroad and accidents involving pedestrians. Richard has a particular interest in claims arising out of motorcycle accidents.
Fatal Accidents: Representation in the Coroner’s Court. Claims on behalf of the estate and the dependants.
Fraud: Richard’s Defendant practice includes defending fraudulent and exaggerated claims, including staged accidents, induced accidents, phantom passengers and trivial/non-injury accidents.
Public Liability/Highways Act: Accidents in shops and schools, and on the public highway.
Animals: Injuries and damage caused by the actions of animals, under the Animals Act 1971 and at common law.
Employers’ Liability: From slippery floors and defective equipment to falls from scaffolding and assault by co-workers.
Industrial Disease: Richard is instructed in claims for asbestos-related disease, noise-induced hearing loss, hand-arm vibration syndrome (‘VWF’), work-related upper limb disorder (‘RSI’), and occupational stress.
Air/Sea Accidents and Holiday Claims: Claims under the Warsaw, Montreal and Athens Conventions and the Package Travel Regulations.
Professional Negligence: Acting for and against Solicitors and Insurers in claims arising out of PI & Medical cases.

Notable Cases

Relatively minor head-on collision caused blunt chest trauma from airbag/steering wheel, which led to Myocardial Infarction 3 days later. This was not identified at hospital and so was left untreated, leading to severely impaired heart function. Claimant died 5 years later as a result of his heart condition. Personal injury claim originally brought by deceased during his lifetime was enlarged to bring a claim under the Fatal Accidents Act on behalf of his widow and 5 children, which was subsequently settled for £362,000.
Claim brought against NHSLA where hospital failed to identify and treat compartment syndrome suffered by a 16-year-old boy following knee fracture sustained in a moped accident. Consequent necrosis required excision of musculature from knee to ankle, leaving no functional movement below the knee. He was no longer able to pursue his chosen career and there was a risk of future deterioration, possibly leading to amputation. Settled for £653,000.
Appeal against case management direction expressly limiting the claim to £15,000, where Claim Form and Particulars of Claim had indicated that the claim “does not exceed £15,000” and the claim had previously been allocated to Fast Track on that basis, but subsequent information indicated substantial loss of earnings and the Claimant had applied to amend. The District Judge’s direction limiting the claim was overturned on appeal, with the claim remaining on the fast track.
Senior hospital consultant suffered subtle brain injury when a speeding oncoming car lost control, flipped over and landed on top of his car. He was unable to continue with the more demanding aspects of his role, but after extensive rehabilitation was able to return to the workplace in a restricted capacity. Settled for £1,040,000.
Successful businessman suffered spinal injury, subsequently requiring lumbar fusion. A subsequent DVT, arising as a result of that surgery, led to occlusion of the iliac vein. The Claimant had ongoing permanent orthopaedic, vascular and psychological complaints and his earning capacity was significantly reduced. Settled for £1,940,000.