Jake Rowley

Personal Injury

Jake has a busy personal injury practice, representing Claimants and Defendants in claims proceeding on the Fast and Multi Tracks.  He appears in court at all stages of such litigation, from CCMCs and interim applications through to JSMs, trial and, where necessary, on appeal.

Jake has significant experience of the full spectrum of personal injury claims including those arising in the contexts of road traffic accidents, employer’s liability, public liability, occupier’s liability, and breach of the Highways Act.  Jake is familiar with holiday sickness claims and has advised on, and appeared in cases relating to, the Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992.  He also has experience of claims for injury arising in the tort of battery.

Jake’s personal injury clients have included private individuals, local authorities, major UK insurers, well-known commercial entities (such as British Airways, Heathrow Airport, the TUI Group, Wilko, and the ISS Group) and National Governments.

Jake’s recent caseload includes:

• Successfully representing the Defendant – ‘The Climbing Academy’ – a Bristol based climbing centre, at a three-day liability trial before HHJ Ralton. The claim was pleaded at a value in the region of £800,000.  Jake was involved from an early stage and had conducted conferences with all of the Defendant’s lay witnesses and the Defendant’s climbing expert.  The trial involved interesting legal arguments in relation to the scope of the Defendant’s duty of care and whether there had been a voluntary assumption of a duty in certain respects of the Defendant’s activities, as well as cross-examination of climbing experts.  Further information can be found here.
• Representing the successful Claimant, a paramedic, following an accident suffered at work when his wrist was trapped and seriously injured in the tail-lift of an ambulance. Jake was instructed from the beginning of the case, settling the Particulars of Claim, the Schedule of Loss (pleaded in excess of £100,000) and providing advice throughout.  Ultimately, the case was settled on favourable terms.
• Representing Heathrow Airport in relation to a claim brought by a Customer Services Representative formerly employed by an airline operating from the airport. Liability was admitted.  At one stage the Schedule of Loss was pleaded in excess of £1.2million.  The claim was settled favourably at a JSM.  Further information can be found here.
• Representing the Claimant in a claim arising out of a road traffic accident, pleaded in excess of £700,000. The Claimant was a pedestrian crossing the road when he was hit by the Defendant’s insured, suffering significant physical and psychological injuries.  The claim was settled, favourably, at a JSM.
• Representing the Claimant in a claim valued in the region of £300,000 arising out of a road traffic accident. Dishonesty and exaggeration were alleged against the Claimant.
• Advising the Government of the United States of America in relation to jurisdictional issues arising out of a potential claim against the Government following a road traffic accident on UK Sovereign Base Area.

Jake has experience of, and a particular interest in, defending cases involving allegations of fraud, dishonesty, exaggeration and/or LVI concerns.  He has secured numerous findings of fundamental dishonesty after trial in order to disapply QOCS, as well as the dismissal of otherwise compensable claims under s. 57 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015.  He is regularly instructed to draft pleadings setting out allegations of dishonesty, exaggeration and/or fraud as well as counterclaims in the tort of deceit.

Jake provides written advice in all areas of personal injury litigation and particularly enjoys advising on quantum.

Jake has previously published an article examining and analysing changes relating to the CPR as it pertained to the recovery of success fees in infant approval hearings entitled, “Recovery of CFA Success Fees and Children” which was subsequently turned into a two-part podcast by CPDcast.com.  An updated article on the topic entitled, “Jackson’s Children: Recoverability of Success Fees in Child Claimant Cases”, was published in the Personal Injury Brief Update Law Journal.

Jake has an interest in jurisdictional issues and has advised on such matters including in relation to the different legal jurisdictions within the UK, as well as claims involving a foreign dimension.

He is willing to consider instructions on a CFA basis.