Steve Duddell

Partner
Accident Claims including Medical Negligence


(+44) (0)117 9453034
sduddell@metcalfes.co.uk
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Steve was admitted as a solicitor in 1981. He has specialised in clinical negligence and personal injury matters since moving to Bristol in 1990. He transferred the personal injury and clinical negligence practices of his previous firm to Metcalfes in 2000, and was subsequently appointed a partner. Having undertaken 4/5 years representing local NHS Trust in defending claims, he gained insight into risk assessment and management from the defendant perspective.

He has been accredited by the Law Society as a specialist in personal injury since 1996 and in clinical negligence since 2005.

He has senior litigator status with APIL, is a member of AvMA, and the Bristol Medico-Legal Society. He is a member of the Personal Injury Solicitors' List of Headway, the brain injury association.

He is coordinator of and legal adviser to the South West Group of RoadPeace, the national charity representing the interests of road traffic victims and their families.

He has experience as a Deputy (formerly Receiver) appointed by the Court of Protection and regularly sits as a Deputy District Judge of the Tribunals Judiciary.

Steve has extensive experience in the whole range of Claimant clinical negligence work, including in catastrophic injuries cases. His highest settlement to date has been £3.405 million against a GP practice following the misprescription of an anti-malarial drug.

Recent successful cases which have required court proceedings include:-

  • failure to identify abnormal cervical smear results, settled following exchange of expert evidence at £200,000
  • negligent performance of breast reconstruction following mastectomy settled at £37,500
  • negligent treatment of hernia settled at £102,500
  • court approval of negligently undertaken surgical correction of right ear deformity settled at £35,000.

Chambers' Guide to the Legal Profession 2012 describes him as "earning respect as an 'extremely astute and precise' solicitor. He impresses with his knowledge of catastrophic injury cases, especially those affecting children."

Steve Duddell