Theo is also regularly instructed to conduct test litigation and has particular experience of leading large scale and group litigation, especially through his work on the Parkes v Meridian and Baker v Quantum litigation during 2003-2011; most recently he led in test trials against British Telecoms Plc in Cardiff (Noise Induced Hearing Loss claims re test tone sets including issues of application of Ogden computation to deafness disability cases) and Boots Plc in Nottingham (Work Related Upper Limb Disorder; carpal tunnel syndrome). Theo recently conducted a further test case management appeal in the BT tone set cases concerning the Sheffield County Court’s practice of using Fast Track allocation and restriction of expert evidence in low value Noise Induced Hearing Loss cases: Offermanns & Aspinall v BT [2015]. Further appeal is being pursued with the prospect of detailed guidance being given by the Court of Appeal on critical practice issues for solicitors in group low to midvalue disease claims.
As well as his Medical Claims and Clin. Neg. practice generally, Theo recently conducted two interesting high value Prof. Neg claims against solicitors. The first is for a project engineer who lost his leg after a construction site accident in Scotland, was advised by his English solicitor that he had to issue in Scotland, and the solicitor withdrew without protecting client's position and with limitation period expiring; Theo agreed to act instructed by Nigel Cook of Cooks and the claim was brought successfully in England against the contractors but settled for 60% because of that limitation risk; the Prof. Neg claim against the first solicitor for the balance of 40% was likewise successfully settled. The second case was a claim against the claimant's first solicitor, who allowed the limitation period to expire in one of the Virgin Atlantic beauty therapist cases, of which Theo has handled 6 or 7 to successful conclusions including in 2 High Court trials in 2005: King & Rimmer v Virgin Atlantic [2005]; Evans & Hindmarch v Virgin Atlantic [2011]; Robert Peach of Coffin Mew now instructed as he has done in the rest of that seies of cases and the case
was successfully settled at mediation.
Theo Huckle KC was during 2011-16 the Counsel General for Wales, a statutory member of the Welsh Government and its senior legal advisor and Law Officer. He joined Doughty Street in 2015 and is a Bencher of Lincoln's Inn and General Editor of the Butterworths' Personal Injury Litigation Service.
He began practice at the Bar with a broad based common law practice conducting 12 murder defences before specialising in complex disease cases and latterly also public/constitutional cases, and has great experience of advocacy at every UK level including 5 recent Supreme Court appearances, and in many different tribunals from public inquiry to coroner's court to magistrates, county and crown court, to employment tribunal and EAT, to CICA, to committees of both Commons and Lords, and, of course, to the National Assembly for Wales. He has conducted death-in-custody and child-clinical-negligence inquests, as well as Professor Pennington's 2008 E. coli O157 Public Inquiry.
He is currently advising for an inquest into the death of a handyman, killed when sulphuric acid sink/drain cleaner caused emission of fatal H2S gas, as a precursor to a high value product liability claim for seriously injured family members. Theo has a particular interest in complex medico-legal issues in civil and criminal or quasi-criminal contexts and especially enjoys cross-examining expert witnesses. He is also highly thought of for his empathy with victims of serious/fatal personal injury and their families.
Inquiries and Inquest
Theo Huckle QC was during 2011-16 the Counsel General for Wales, a statutory member of the Welsh Government and its senior legal advisor and Law Officer. He joined Doughty Street in 2015 and is a Bencher of Lincoln's Inn and General Editor of the Butterworths' Personal Injury Litigation Service.
He began practice at the Bar with a broad based common law practice conducting 12 murder defences before specialising in complex disease cases and latterly also public/constitutional cases, and has great experience of advocacy at every UK level including 5 recent Supreme Court appearances, and in many different tribunals from public inquiry to coroner's court to magistrates, county and crown court, to employment tribunal and EAT, to CICA, to committees of both Commons and Lords, and, of course, to the National Assembly for Wales. He has conducted death-in-custody and child-clinical-negligence inquests, as well as Professor Pennington's 2008 E. coli O157 Public Inquiry.
He is currently advising for an inquest into the death of a handyman, killed when sulphuric acid sink/drain cleaner caused emission of fatal H2S gas, as a precursor to a high value product liability claim for seriously injured family members. Theo has a particular interest in complex medico-legal issues in civil and criminal or quasi-criminal contexts and especially enjoys cross-examining expert witnesses. He is also highly thought of for his empathy with victims of serious/fatal personal injury and their families.
