Members of the Devereux Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence Group regularly act in high-value and high-profile claims, with a long-established reputation for dealing with all types of accident and disease cases. Set out below are the details of some of the recent settlements reached by Stephen Killalea KC, Robert Weir KC, Chris Walker, Peter Edwards, Richard Cartwright, Stephen Cottrell and Rob Hunter.

The settlements achieved by Devereux members help the injured parties and their families gain access to ongoing care, support and accommodation, thus improving their quality of life. 

Stephen Killalea KC

Stephen has settled a large number of catastrophic injury cases in the past 6 months. Examples of which include:

Male, late forties, paraplegia caused by RTA. Settled for £9.6 million. 
Instructed by Angela Batchelor, Irwin Mitchell London.

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Female Claimant in her mid-forties with incomplete tetraplegia. £12 million settlement. 
Leading Paul Evans of No. 5.
Instructed by Kerry Dutton of Lyons Davison.

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Liability settlement at JSM in construction site accident. Roof fall. Catastrophic spinal injury and traumatic brain injury.
Instructed by Damian Horan of Aspire/Moore Barlow. December 2025.

Robert Weir KC

Rob Weir KC settled a claim for a client in his early 40s with paraplegia and a brachial plexus injury, who was in receipt of substantial statutory funding, for £25m with the right to continue to seek and obtain the statutory funding.  He was instructed by Stephanie Clarke of Stewarts law.

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Rob Weir KC acted for a cerebral palsy child whose claim he settled for £7.25m with a PPO of £410,000 p.a. for life.  He was instructed by Stephen Webber of Hugh James.

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Rob Weir KC acted for a client in his late 40s with T3 ASIA A paraplegia.  He settled the case for £3.7m with a PPO rising to £275,000 p.a. for life.  The claimant also recovered provisional damages and a variable PPO for the risk of a syrinx.  He was instructed by James Glasper of Leigh Day.

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Rob Weir KC settled a claim for a woman in her late 30s with paraplegia for £11.25m plus provisional damages for the risk of a syrinx.  Rob was instructed by Anna West of Aspire Law.

Chris Walker

Re: N. 

54 year old security officer injured in an accident at work. She was left C5 AISD paraplegic.  Primary liability admitted but contributory negligence alleged.  Instructed on behalf of the Claimant, acting alone.  Settled at JSM for ?5.35 million in October 2025.  Defendant represented by Rob Weir KC

Chris was Instructed by Mary Kay of Union Line.

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Re C.

33 year old suffered grievous brain injury in rta.  She was riding pillion on an off-road motorbike wearing no helmet.  Undisputed need for 24 hour care. Claim against the MIB.  Liability contested.  Clause 8 defence in play.  Instructed on behalf of the Claimant, led by Steve Killalea KC.   Multi million pound settlement approved as an “excellent outcome” by High Court in January 2026

Chris was instructed by Paul Brown of Burnetts

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Re W

20 year old carer suffered severe lower limb injuries in rta.  Liability 90/10 in Claimant’s favour . Restrictions to mobility and a contested but ill-defined future risk of amputation.  Instructed on behalf of the Claimant, acting alone.  Settled at JSM in September 2025 for 1.9 net of the agreed liability split.

Chris was instructed by Edel Selby of Minster Law

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Re: R&R

Husband and wife pedestrians run over while using an unlit pedestrian crossing at night on a dual carriageway.  Husband suffered life changing orthopaedic injuries (including an above knee amputation) and significant injuries to internal organs.  Wife suffered significant orthopaedic and psychological injuries.  Liability contested.  Claimants were represented by a silk while Chris was instructed on behalf of the Defendant, acting alone.  Claims both settled at a fraction of their pleaded value, at JSM in January 2026

Chris was instructed by David Rogers of DWF

Peter Edwards

Peter settled a case for a cyclist, who was knocked from his cycle and sustained a severe TBI. He subsequently developed traumatic epilepsy. The claim was settled on the basis that the Claimant would require 24-hour per day 1:1 care, with periods of 2:1 care to facilitate cycling and camping trips.

The claim was settled at a Mediation, conducted by Richard Methuen K.C., for a lump sum of £3.75 million and an index-linked PPO of £300,000 per annum. The capitalised value was in the region of £11.4 million. The Defendant was represented by Patrick Blakesley K.C.

The settlement was approved by HHJ Wood in December 2025. Peter was instructed by Robert Rea of Samuels Law LLP.

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Peter settled a case on behalf of a former soldier who was raped and sexually assaulted by a senior officer, who was subsequently Court martialled and imprisoned. The Claimant suffered cPTSD and was medically discharged from the Armed Forces.

Common law claims of assault and battery and Human Rights Act claims were pursued on behalf of the Claimant.

There were significant arguments about whether the Ministry of Defence were vicariously liable for the acts of sexual assault perpetrated against the Claimant, such acts occurring in the Claimant’s barracks bedroom and whilst neither her nor the senior officer were on duty.

The case was settled on confidential terms, required by the Anonymity Order and the confidentiality clause included in the settlement agreement.

Peter was instructed by Mark McGhee of R.Hutcheon Solicitors LLP.

Richard Cartwright

Settlement of claim relating to Erb’s Palsy injury at birth. Liability was disputed on the basis that no shoulder dystocia occurred and therefore no release manoeuvres were indicated. At settlement discussions agreement reached at £350,000 equivalent to 70% recovery of full liability.

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Skull fracture and associated haemorrhage at birth during Caesarean section delivery of second twin. Liability denied on the basis that claim depended on improper application of res ipsa doctrine. At settlement discussions agreement was reached at 50% of damages to be assessed.

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Down syndrome undetected by ultrasound measurement of nuchal translucency. Claim alleged undermeasurement and resulting misstatement of risk. D sought to rely upon fetal medicine expert evidence when breach alleged was solely of sonographer. At settlement discussions agreement was reached at 85% of damages to be assessed on wrongful birth principles.

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Claims against physiotherapist, general practitioner and orthopaedic surgeon in turn for failure to diagnose spinal tumour over several years. Liability in part conceded but causation was disputed on the basis that current condition and prognosis (paraplegia) was a consequence of complications of resection surgery and not the delay in diagnosis. At settlement discussions agreement was reached at 75% of damages to be assessed on the basis of a full recovery save for some mild impairment to mobility.

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Child born with rare genetic syndrome giving rise to upper limb loss and severe developmental delay. Liability was based on a failure to identify missing hand and fingers on serial ultrasound scanning and was not disputed. Subsequent to an unsuccessful settlement meeting further discussions led to agreement of lump sum damages of £19 million (subject to clawback in the event of early death).

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Claim based on failure to diagnose and treat pneumococcal meningitis in early childhood. Outcome of earlier treatment was disputed, with the Defendant contending that a significant degree of residual disability would have been inevitable preventing independent living in adulthood. At settlement discussions agreement was reached at lump sum damages of £8 million and annual payments of £247,500 rising to £370,000, a notional capital value of £26 million plus.

Stephen Cottrell

PSK v Parker (Approval hearing in December 2025) 

Settlement of £1.24M in a fatal accident claim for the widow and children of a cyclist killed in a road traffic accident. Instructed by Leanne Keating of Bridge McFarland. (Opposite Daniel Paul in the settlement meeting).

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P v P & an insurer (December 2025) 

Settlement of £2.2M for a man with a brain injury, orthopaedic injuries and a significant psychiatric reaction in a RTA. Causation and the extent of the brain injury were hotly disputed. Instructed by Hilary Wetherell of Irwin Mitchell (Birmingham). (Opposite Niall McLean).

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H v F & Allianz (November 2025) 

Settlement of £1.1M for a young claimant who suffered a devastating knee injury when he was struck by the Defendant’s van. Instructed by Fiona Dodgson of CL Medilaw. (Opposite Shaun Ferris).

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P v R (October 2025) 

Settlement of £1.3M for a claimant who suffered catastrophic injuries when working as a rope access technician on an offshore installation when a pressurised bolt was released and struck the Claimant. He suffered massive internal injuries, a very significant hand injury and a serious psychiatric reaction and had not yet been able to return to work by the time of the settlement meeting. Instructed by Kathryn Hudson of Bridge McFarland. (Opposite James Hogg).

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M v V (June 2025) 

Settlement of £3M gross (£2.25M after contributory negligence) for a claimant who fell from scaffolding at work. Liability was in dispute. The claimant suffered multiple severe fractures to the femur, knee, ankle and foot and underwent many rounds of surgery. Liability was compromised at a way forward meeting and the claim settled soon thereafter. Instructed by Leanne Keating of Bridge McFarland. (Opposite Rehana Azib KC).

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D v G & an Insurer (March 2025) 

Settlement of £575,000 for a man in his sixties who suffered a head injury in a road traffic accident then went on to develop epilepsy. When he first developed epilepsy he had a major seizure of such violence that both shoulders were fractured. The epilepsy was subsequently well-controlled, but the shoulders did not recover despite surgery, and the Claimant was left with severely limited movement which had prevented him from working and given rise to significant care needs.

Rob Hunter

FGH v VWX – Exceptionally Complicated Brain Injury Claim

Stephen Killalea KC and Rob Hunter compromised a long running catastrophic brain injury claim following an accident at age 15 in October 2013.

Liability was compromised after the issue of proceedings in March 2021. Quantum was contentious. Prior to the collision, there were various difficulties at school and the claimant was expelled. After the collision, the Claimant was convicted of serious criminal offences, which he alleged were brought about by his brain injury.

The claim was compromised for ~£9m (gross) and approved in December 2025. The Judge commented that it had been one of the most complex cases he had overseen in more than 16 years.

Steve and Rob were instructed by Victoria Hubbert of CL Medilaw.

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R v O Ltd – International Personal Injury Claim

Rob acted for a young woman who sustained a brain injury at age 16 that was so serious her first memories in hospital began 6 weeks later.

To establish liability, the Claimant relied on the latest research concerning the correlation between velocity at impact and brain injury.

The Claimant was domiciled in continental Europe and so the parties relied on experts in the UK and abroad.   

The claim was settled for £1.25m (gross) with special terms to account for the taxation of damages in the Claimant’s home state.

Rob was instructed by Philip Banks and James Reiley of Irwin Mitchell.

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Master X v Y NHS Trust – Alleged delay in neurosurgery

Rob acted for a child who had attended hospital with a life-threatening collection in the brain. 

Causation was complicated as the abscess was present on admission to hospital and surgical intervention was inevitable.

Investigations required medico-opinion in six disciplines.

The claim was compromised for a confidential sum.

Rob was instructed by Megan Pratt of Thomson, Snell & Passmore.