Barrister Profile
Stephen Killalea QC
| Appointed QC | 2006 |
|---|---|
| Year of Call | 1981 |
Profile
Stephen Killalea QC has a leading practice in Personal Injury and Health & Safety with an emphasis, in his civil practice, on catastrophic brain and spinal injuries.
Recommendations
"Stephen Killalea QC of Devereux Chambers has an impressive trinity of qualities: "Tactical acumen, an ability to build a rapport with clients and awe-inspiring performances in court" are all present in the make up of this hugely popular advocate".
Health and Safety Chambers UK 2010
"Stephen Killalea QC is...highly regarded and is "the personal injury silk of choice" for many interviewees".
Personal Injury Chambers UK 2010
Ranked in band 1 of the top health and safety silks
Health and Safety Chambers UK 2010
"procedural knowledge, quality of advocacy and tactical awareness that are second to none"
Personal Injury Legal 500 2009
"A hard-working silk with international jurisdiction expertise," Stephen Killalea QC is known for his focus on highly complex brain and spinal injury litigation. One client commented: "He is one of the most powerful and impressive advocates I have come across, yet still has the ability to obtain the trust and respect of clients by speaking at a level appropriate to them."
Personal Injury Chambers UK 2009
"Stephen Killalea QC of Devereux Chambers is also very much in his prime. "Combining skill and technical knowledge with the necessary amount of flamboyance in court," he has achieved impressive results in a number of complex cases over the past year".
Health & Safety Chambers UK 2009
"The straightforward and down to earth Stephen Killalea QC wins a wealth of commendations. He speaks in a language you can understand say clients... one of the rising stars of the field... [he] specialises in catastrophic spinal and brain injury cases and is often employed in multi-million pound cases"
Chambers UK 2008
A "first rate" lawyer who is "direct, down-to-earth and articulate"
Personal Injury, Chambers UK 2007.
Stephen Killalea of Devereux Chambers is praised as a 'sharp mind and a real specialist' with a 'straightforward and effective style.'
Health & Safety, Legal 500 (2006)
By far the best, with a fabulous grasp of the regulatory system and how the HSE works. Just Pure Class.
Health & Safety, Legal 500 (2005)
"A real star on the defence side... a great advocate who pitches it right all the time, thus achieving remarkable results."
Health and Safety, Chambers UK 2007.
Former winner of Chambers & Partners
Personal Injury Junior of the Year.
Current Work
A substantial personal injuries caseload of, predominantly Claimant, catastrophic brain and spinal injury cases. A further core caseload of industrial fatal accidents and liability issues including offshore work and accidents occurring abroad.
Health and Safety prosecutions involving fatalities at industrial premises and docks and advising on legionella policies.
Other Significant Cases
- Wattleworth (Widow and Administratrix of the Estate of (Simon Wattleworth, deceased) v. Goodwood Road Racing Co Ltd: [2004] EWHC 140 (QB)
- Cooke v United Bristol Health Care; Sheppard v Stibbe & anr; Page v Lee: [2003] EWCA Civ 1370 (CA)
- Hewison v. Meridian Shipping PTE & ors: [2002] EWCA Civ 1821 (CA)
-
Cooley v Ramsey [2008] EWHC 192 (QB)
Publications
Health and Safety - The Modern Legal Framework (Butterworths 2000).
Author of sections on Construction Regulations and Divers and Offshore Installations (Personal Injury Factbook - Gee & Co. 1998)
Professional Membership
APIL, PIBA, HSLA
Areas of Practice
PERSONAL INJURY
Extensive practice specialising in injuries of the utmost severity. Emphasis on accidents in industry and accidents involving death, brain damage and spinal injury.
Recent substantial concluded cases include:
- Adult brain damage in accident in NSW (confidentiality clause)
- Child Brain damage £3.4 million
- Male incomplete tetraplegia £3.25 million
- Cerebral palsy £5 million (PPO and capital award)
- Child brain damage £3.32 million
- Adult brain damage - £4.6 million
- Adult tetraplegia £3.7 million
Current ongoing cases include:
- Brain damage accident in Rome
- Tetraplegia in Baltic State
- Brain damage. Near drowning in swimming pool
- Brain damage. Child in playground
- Paraplegia. Hong Kong
- Brain Damage. Young Doctor. Hong Kong
- Scaffolder catastrophically brain damaged in accident at work
- Warehouseman brain damaged in accident at work
- Acrobat rendered paraplegic in circus accident
- Husband and wife brain and spinally injured in road traffic accident
- Young male rendered paraplegic in road traffic accident
- Child brain damaged in playground accident
- Catastrophic spinal injuries to young male in road traffic accident. Incomplete tetraplegic
- Catastrophic brain damage to young high flying professional male
- Catastrophic brain damage to distinguished academic
- Severe spinal injuries to female teacher
- Fatal accident to woman living abroad
- Young women with extensive spinal and brain injuries "Locked in" syndrome
- Catastrophic brain damage to roofer in accident at work
- Septuagenarian rendered paraplegic in road traffic accident
- Octogenerian rendered paraplegic in road traffic accident
- Drowning of previously spinally injured professional male in university swimming pool
- Electrician crushed by machinery in warehouse accident
- Two young brothers brain damaged in road traffic accident
- A large number of brain damaged children sustaining injuries when young awaiting long term prognosis pending maturation of the brain
- A further caseload of brain and spinal injuries arising out of accidents involving uninsured drivers under the MIB scheme
- Catastrophic injuries sustained in accidents abroad (Australia and Europe).
HEALTH AND SAFETY
A substantial Health and Safety practice representing companies and individuals, in Criminal Prosecutions brought by the Health and Safety Executive, Local Enforcement Authorities and other Government Agencies, including the Environment Agency.
Substantial concluded cases include:
- Death of employee on offshore platform
- Death of child in rollercoaster accident at fairground
- Death of railway worker during maintenance work
- Multiple fatalities caused by collapse of port gangway
- Fatal accident to lift engineer
- Loss of radioactive isotope
- Fatal accident to child in port warehouse
- Diving supervisor prosecution arising out of diver's death in north sea
- Death of diver at Canary Wharf
- Dual fatality arising out of recreational diving accident
- Construction fatality at Canary Wharf
- Burns to elderly residents of care home due to inadequately insulated hot water pipes
- Drowning of a child in holiday camp swimming pool
- Asbestos exposure at major construction site
- Electrocution of railway worker
- Employee crushed in inadequately guarded machine
- Asbestos exposure at school
- Electrocution of restaurant employee
- Suffocation in grain silo
- Fatal roof fall on farm
- Fatal roof fall in mail sorting office
- Reversing articulated lorry causing fatal accident
Other Health and Safety cases include :
- Demolition
- Construction
- Agriculture
- Factories accidents - including those involving plant and machinery
- Electrocution
- Railway accidents
- Overhead power lines
- Docks
- Fairground accidents
- Asbestos - faulty surveys and incidents involving exposure
- Construction Design and Management Regulations
- Diving accidents - (mixed gas commercial and air recreational)
- Offshore installations
- Schools
- Nursing homes/hospitals
- University containment laboratories
- Government containment laboratories
- Fork-lift truck and crane accidents
- Scaffolding
- Swimming pools
- Mines and quarries
- Legionella
- Roadworks
- Rigs and offshore installations
- Appeals against prohibition and improvement notices
- Advising on risk management issues
Other Related Cases include:
- Cases of waterways pollution
- Drafting safety policies
-
Environment Agency prosecutions