Allan Gore QC

Barrister Profile

Allan has an established practice in the areas of Personal Injury and Professional and Clinical Negligence. He acts for both Claimants and Defendants and is experienced in acting in group litigation. His expertise is recognised in Chambers and Partners where he is described as “a fearless advocate, with a sharp legal brain” and “extremely able tactically and very assertive”. In Chambers and Partners 2008, Allan is recommended as a Leading Silk who is “passionate and committed” and who “puts clients at ease by speaking their language.” “He combines this openness with a “tenacious and single-minded” attitude in the courtroom, making him a popular choice for personal injury matters.”

He is particularly well-regarded for his specialist expertise in claims involving asbestos and other industrial diseases. He also has a strong reputation in the fields of disaster litigation, employers’ liability and catastrophic injury (particularly brain damage and spinal injuries).

In the field of Clinical Negligence, Allan’s expertise extends to a variety of areas of medical practice, including A & E, cardiology, surgery and with particular emphasis on birth asphyxia cases.

From 1975 to 1982 he lectured in law at the then South Bank Polytechnic. He was at one time course director of the honours law degree and also instructor and examiner on the Bar Finals. He remains a regular speaker for the continuing education of lawyers.

Appointments

Recorder, 2000 (Crime, Civil and Family)
ADR Group Qualified Mediator
Editorial Board member – Journal of Personal Injury Litigation

Qualifications

Trinity Hall, Cambridge (LLB, MA)

Professional Membership

Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (President 2005-6)
Personal Injuries Bar Association (Executive Committee 1995-2004)
Professional Negligence Bar Association
Pan European Organisation of Personal Injury Lawyers
Association of Trial Lawyers of America
Australian Plaintiff Lawyers Association

Publications

Co-editor Occupational Illness Litigation – Sweet & Maxwell
Contributor: Butterworths County Court Precedents and Pleadings
Contributor: Butterworths Personal Injury Litigation Service
Contributor: Personal Injury Handbook (2nd Ed)
Contributor: Personal Injury Pleadings (3rd Ed)
Various journal articles and case reports

Interesting Cases

Shortell v BICAL Construction Ltd [2008] QBD Manchester unreported Mackay J – asbestos proved to be cause of lung cancer in the absence of asbestosis in the case of an ex-smoker subject to contributory negligence
Maggs v Anstey [2007] EWHC 515 – liability of employer for mesothelioma due to one day’s exposure to asbestos
Harcourt v Griffin [2007] EWHC 1500 – entitlement of claimant to require information as to the insurance coverage of the defendant in respect of the claim
Barker v Corus UK plc [2006] UKHL 20 – whether damages for indivisible disease (mesothelioma) should be apportioned between exposers to asbestos
Fifield v Denton Hall Legal Services [2006] EWCA Civ 169 – liability for work related upper limb disorder (WRULD) under Health & Safety (Display Screens) Regulations; evidential status of GP notes and records
Grieves v FT Everard & Sons Ltd (so called Pleural Plaques Litigation) [2006] EWCA Civ 27 - whether asbestos induced pleural plaques constituted actionable injury
Banks v Ablex Ltd (2005) Lawtel AC0107925 - ambit of the statutory tort of harassment
Hashtroodi v Hancock [2004] 3 All ER530 - extensions of validity of claim form for service where application made within time for service
Halsey v Milton Keynes NHS Trust (2004) [2004] 4 All ER920 - costs consequences of refusal to agree to ADR
Farmer v Rolls-Royce Ltd unreported, 26/02/2003, lawtel document no. AC0105047 - Largest award in a fatal accident case
Smith v White Knight Laundry Ltd [2002] 1 WLR 616 - Limitation in relation to restoration of dissolved companies to the register
Callery v Gray (No.1) [2001] 1 WLR 2112 / Callery v Gray (No.2) [2001] 1 WLR 1242 - Recoverability of success fees and insurance premiums in CFA cases
Heil v Rankin [2000] 2 WLR 1173 - Level of general damages in personal injury actions
Cullin v LFCDA (1999) PIQR P314 (CA) - Liability for nervous shock in cases of firefighters acting as rescuers
Quinn v MoD [1998] PIQR P387 (CA) - Crown immunity for tortious injury of armed service personnel
Marshall v Gradon Construction [1997] 4 All ER 830 (CA) - Joinder of parties outside limitation period
Phipps v Brooks Dry Cleaning Services Ltd [1996] PIQR Q100 (CA) - Valuation of lost years claims where life expectation reduced
Hale v London Underground Ltd (1993) PIQR Q30 - Nervous shock arising out of the King’s Cross disaster
Goodwin v Chief Constable of Lancashire (1992) PIQR 187 (CA) - Public interest matter relating to immunity disclosure
Smoker v LFCDA(1991) 2 All ER 449 (HL) - PI action concerning the deductability of pension receipts from damages
Hodgson v Guardall Ltd [1991] 3 All ER 823 - Jurisdiction to order one defendant to pay the costs of proceedings against others
Ravenscroft v Reteriaktiebolaget Transatlantic [1991] 3 All ER 73 / [1992] 2 All ER 470 (CA) - Nervous shock
Kent v Wakefield Metal Traders Ltd (1990) 19 October QBD unreported - liability for mesothelioma, exposure late 50s to early 60s
Stanley v MoD (1988) 9 May QBD unreported - no immunity from suit for exposure to asbestos before Crown Proceedings Act 1947
Wigg v British Railways Board (1986) 136 NLJ 446 - Nervous shock
Union Traffic v TGWU (1989) ICR 98 (CA) - Injunctive relief in a secondary picketing case
Patterson v MoD (1986) 29 July QBD unreported - first asbestos provisional damages case
Kinnear v Falconfilms NV - Substantial clinical negligence action concerning the death of an actor from injuries sustained from an accident on a foreign film set
Jones v North Manchester Health Authority - Substantial clinical negligence action concerning spinal surgery
Lipsius v London Underground Ltd - Damages for a musician following the King’s Cross disaster
The King’s Cross Fire Enquiry
The Clapham, Cannon Street, Severn Tunnel, Newton and Cowden Train Crash Enquiries
Many substantial spinal and brain injury and birth trauma cases for Claimants and Defendants attracting damages of £1m or more (including Harcourt v Griffin - £5m {defendants’ policy limit} QBD tetraplegia; Cauthery v Khan - £3.1m QBD brain damage after rta; Thomas v Fraser - £3.1m QBD brain damage after rta; Mirfarhardi v Debenhams plc - £2.75m spinal injury ; Patel v Mayday NHS Trust - £2.7m QBD cerebral palsy case; Re O - CICB award of £2.14m for very severe brain damage; W v Cambridge NHS trust - £2m after contributory negligence for paraplegia; and Gallagher v Morris - £2m QBD fatal accident claim) or susbstantial open market and bottom up structured settlements (including Anoff v Merton NHS Trust, Edney v St Albans NHS Trust, Hider v Central Middlesex NHS Trust, Heath v Frimley Park NHS Trust, Summers v Bashford and Davey v Barts & the London Hospital NHS Trust) and periodical payment orders (including Ezugwu v Platt £1.74m and ASHE indexed periodical payment order for life for £137,000 for brain damage after rta; Barringer v Ashford & St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Trust - £1.8m lump sum and index linked periodical payments for life rising to £153,000 for cerebral palsy due to birth asphyxia, life expectancy both curtailed and disputed; Clarke v Wharton - £1.35m lump sum and RPI linked periodical payments for life enhanced to £280,000 as an alternative to ASHE indexation, for tetraplegia after rta).