Nigel Lewers

Nigel is widely recognised as a Leading Junior, recently rated as a “Star Individual”. He specialises in high value claims in personal injury, clinical negligence, motor insurance, and professional negligence arising out of personal injury cases. He has extensive experience of chronic pain conditions, amputation and prosthetics, catastrophic brain injury, paralysis caused by spinal injury, fundamental dishonesty and equine accidents.

Personal Injury

Principal areas of expertise include:

  • Brain injuries, both subtle and severe
  • Amputation and prosthetics
  • Spinal injuries and paralysis
  • Chronic pain conditions
  • Psychiatric illness
  • Causation, in particular the diagnosis and causation of unusual medical syndromes and the exacerbation of pre-existing medical conditions
  • Accidents involving horses
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Clinical Negligence

Nigel undertakes clinical negligence work. Recent experience includes claims involving negligent treatment in the aftermath of accidental injury and cases of surgery in the areas of ophthalmology and urology and informed consent.

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Insurance

Nigel specialises in the law of motor insurance, including claims involving the Motor Insurers’ Bureau.

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Fraud

Cases involving fraudulent exaggeration and malingering and disputes around the admissibility and significance of surveillance evidence including static surveillance.

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Public Authority Liability

The liability of public authorities, principally highway-related.

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Mediation

Nigel conducts a large number of joint settlement meetings and is noted for his negotiation skills.

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Product Liability

Recently instructed in a case concerning a fatal cycling accident in a velodrome where the suitability of the track surface and track bike tyres were in issue.

Also recently involved in a case arising out of the malfunction and repair of the pick-up mechanism of an agricultural big baler.

Current instructions include the design and manufacture of an electric wheelchair and its electronic seat rise and tilt mechanism.

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Appointments & Memberships

Accredited mediator.

Member of the Personal Injuries Bar Association and the Professional Negligence Bar Association.

Directories

Articulate, always calm especially under fire, with an excellent eye for detail and outstanding technical knowledge. Legal 500, 2024

His attention to detail is second to none. He gets to grips with very technical matters and is able to explain it in a very user-friendly manner. – Chambers & Partners, 2024

His level of experience and detail and knowledge of the case are exemplary. He has a very kind manner; he is very approachable, and calm in some difficult situations. He is an excellent advocate. – Chambers & Partners, 2024

Nigel is a brilliant and technically astute barrister. – Chambers & Partners, 2024

Nigel is a very calm and considered advocate whom instils confidence in those working with him. – Legal 500, 2023

A ferocious barrister and a superb advocate. – Chambers & Partners, 2022

His technical knowledge and expertise is phenomenal, especially in cases involving multiple parties, complex liability and indemnity arguments. – Legal 500, 2022

There is no doubt he is a star – he is completely charming and extremely good. – Chambers and Partners, 2021

He is great with experts and clients and is an outstanding negotiator who is very easy to work with. –  Chambers and Partners, 2021

A very persuasive advocate who punches at QC level. Tenacious and good attention to detail. – Legal 500, 2021

A senior junior with huge amount of experience and an excellent knowledge of law. – Chambers and Partners, 2020

He’s charming, responsive and has a very good eye for detail. – Chambers and Partners, 2020

Extremely bright in dealing with cases of utmost complexity. – The Legal 500, 2019

He is very able, effective and knowledgeable. – Chambers & Partners, 2019

A very capable pair of hands and a real gentleman. – Chambers & Partners, 2019

He is very approachable, has great attention to detail and is a very effective negotiator. – Legal 500, 2018

Very user friendly, technically excellent and equally good with insurers and lay clients. – Legal 500, 2018

Approachable, calm and deals well with the other side. – Chambers & Partners, 2018

Fantastic in terms of attention to detail and very switched-on. – Chambers & Partners, 2018

Excellent for sensitive issues and very good with clients. – Chambers & Partners, 2018

Unflappable, with a gentle but effective manner. – The Legal 500, 2017

He gets to very difficult causation points and he doesn’t get flustered; the clients absolutely love him. –  Chambers & Partners, 2017

He’s a master technician; very thorough and very meticulous. – Chambers & Partners, 2017

He is particularly good with complex calculations in schedules on multimillion-pound cases. – The Legal 500, 2016

He’s very clever and has a good manner with clients. He is very methodical and has a softly spoken manner which is deadly and gets his point across. – Chambers & Partners, 2016

He has a good manner with clients and is a calming presence in stressful situations. – The Legal 500, 2015

Publications

Former Editor, Kemp & Kemp, Personal Injury Law, Practice and Procedure.

Cases

  • MICHAEL SMITHSON v (1) BRADLEY LYNN (2) NORTH YORKSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL [2020] EWHC 2517 (QB)
    A claim against a local authority for failing to treat an icy road pursuant to section 41(1)(A) of the Highways Act 1980 causing a road traffic accident which gave rise to traumatic brain injury in a young man.
  • JOANNE JAGGER v (1) AUSTIN HOLLAND (2) CAMBRIDGE LIVE LTD (3) STANLEY THURSTON (T/A S C THURSTON & SON) [2020] EWHC 46 (QB)
    A claim in which a pedestrian was run over by a lorry as it drove across a grassed common to deliver a fairground ride to the site of a fairground, suffering catastrophic lower limb injuries.
  • THOMPSON V BROADHEATH HEALTHCARE AND OTHERS HHJ SEPHTON QC, MANCHESTER COUNTY COURT, January 2020
    Liability of an occupier to a trespasser for a brain injury suffered due to the dangerous state of the premises.
  • WILLIAM TONKINS v RICHARD JAMES TAPP (QBD, 7/12/18, Judge Allan gore QC)
    A claim for a brain injury suffered by a self-employed carpenter who fell from a scaffold, also addressing the impact of section 69 of the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 and experts giving their evidence concurrently.
  • JANICE COCKERILL v (1) CXK LTD (2) ARTWISE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP [2018] EWHC 1155 (QB)
    Employers liability claim which addressed the nature of the employer’s duty of care following the introduction of section 69 of the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013.
  • Horncastle v Marshall 10/03/2016
    (Seat belts, liability for costs following late acceptance of a Part 36 offer.)
  • Churchill v Boot [2016] EWHC 1322 (QB)
    (Revision of costs budgets in a claim for brain injury)
  • Huntley v Simmons [2009] EWHC 406 (QB), [2010] EWCA Civ 54
    (brain injury, quantum and Part 36 offers)
  • Dalling v R J Heale [2010] EWCA Civ 365
    (competing causation of brain injury, quantum)
  • Milton Keynes BC v Nulty [2011] EWHC 2847 (TCC)
    (causation, multiple causes, breach of condition of insurance, damages for loss of chance)
  • Ede v Whitwood QBD, 19/04/2012
    (liability for catastrophic injury to young pedal cyclist)
  • Paramasivan v Wicks [2013] EWCA Civ 262
    (liability for injury to a pedestrian)
  • Nadarajah v Sotnick [2013] EWHC 3389 (QB)
    (liability and quantum, catastrophic injuries to a motorcyclist)
  • Smith v Harding 26/11/2013
    (riding accident, Animals Act 1971)
  • Churchill v Boot [2016] EWHC 1322 (QB)
    (revision of costs budgets in a claim for brain injury)
  • Horncastle v Marshall 10/03/2016
    (seat belts, liability for costs following late acceptance of a Part 36 offer)

Nigel is a brilliant and technically astute barrister.

Chambers & Partners, 2024

His level of experience and detail and knowledge of the case are exemplary. He has a very kind manner; he is very approachable, and calm in some difficult situations. He is an excellent advocate.

Chambers & Partners, 2024

His attention to detail is second to none. He gets to grips with very technical matters and is able to explain it in a very user-friendly manner.

Chambers & Partners, 2024

Articulate, always calm especially under fire, with an excellent eye for detail and outstanding technical knowledge.

Legal 500, 2024

Nigel is a very calm and considered advocate whom instils confidence in those working with him.

Legal 500, 2023

A ferocious barrister and a superb advocate.

Chambers & Partners, 2022

His technical knowledge and expertise is phenomenal, especially in cases involving multiple parties, complex liability and indemnity arguments.

Legal 500, 2022