Simon Matthews

Get to Know Simon

I qualified as a solicitor in 2001 and immediately started to specialise in Industrial Disease.

During my career I have worked for both Claimants and Defendants acting in a wide range of disease and illness claims. For the past 10 years I have worked exclusively for the individuals and their families.

I have considerable experience of group litigation acting for large number of employees affected by the same issues. This includes group of individuals suffering from Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome, Dermatitis, Asthma and other respiratory conditions. I was on a Steering Committee in the British Coal HAVS and Respiratory Disease Group Litigations. These cases involved thousands of miners and we established various schemes and processes to facilitate quick, sensible and appropriate compensation for all of them.

I have handled claims for vibration related conditions, noise induced hearing loss, dermatitis, respiratory conditions such as asthma and lung cancer. I have handled a number of cases for silica based lung disease for both individuals and their families but also in the past for companies. I know the quarrying and stone masonry sector very well as a result.

I have also acted for many years for and against Heavy Engineering, Steel Making and Forging companies in relation to claims arising from noise, vibration and dust. I also have years of experience of shipbuilding and repair claims for both companies and employees related to vibration and dust including asbestos dust.

I am very tenacious and use my extensive knowledge of acting for both sides to my advantage wherever I can. I can often predict the actions of Defendants or Insurers as a result of this experience and advise clients appropriately.

I have been involved in a number of important Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome cases which are still used today.

Career Highlights

British Coal Hand Arm Vibration Group Litigation which involved thousands of miners through a decision made in Newcastle upon Tyne County Court in 1996 to a handling arrangement document first drafted in 1999 and revised on various dates until 2008. I was actively involved in negotiating the handling agreement.

British Coal Respiratory Disease group Litigation which involved thousands of miners claiming compensation for a range of respiratory diseases. I was involved later in this process but attended a number of court hearings and meetings to move the agreement forward to a drafted form in 1999 and amended form in 2005.

Brookes v SYPTE and Mainline Group (Court of Appeal decision) which remains an important decision on determining from when an employer is liable for harm caused by vibration exposure.

I have also provided training on handling Hand Arm Vibration Disease claims to a number of major insurers and claims handlers and spoken at Symposia and Health and Safety Events on the subject. I also spoke to the Quarry Products Association on Silica Dust exposure. I co-organised a number of Symposia on Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome that took place at venues around the country including speakers who were leading practitioners in the fields of law, medicine and engineering and recognised experts in this type of claim.

I have spent most of my career in the North East of England so am very familiar with many of the current and historical employers against which claims are regularly made.