Shaun is a consultant in our local government casualty team, based in our Newcastle office.
Shaun now has 30 years’ experience of advising local authorities and other public sector bodies in responding to the full range of claims and risk. Living in Carlisle and working in Newcastle, Shaun has been based in the North for his entire career, which provides Shaun with a unique insight into the public sector landscape across the North East and Cumbria.Shaun has handled a variety of claims for the public sector during his career to date, including complex and high value public and employer’s liability claims. Shaun specialises in dealing with sensitive claims and supporting clients in addressing the impact of fatal accidents, including dealing with the inquest process.
Examples of Shaun’s experience in this area includes dealing with the outcome of the Legionnaires disease outbreak in 2002 and the Northside Bridge collapse, following widespread flooding in Cumbria in 2009.Shaun has a particular interest in highways liability claims and has been involved in assisting and advising clients in their response to claims, whether that is a strategy to respond to multiple high value cycling claims, how to maintain an inspection regime during the covid pandemic, or how to best tailor your inspection process to exploit and rely upon new digital technology.
An example of Shaun’s work in this area can be seen in Sugden v Cumbria County Council [2023] 3 WLUK 547. Shaun will regularly provide training in this area of law to clients, insurers and at external events, such as the ALARM national conference.