Simon Parford

Practice Areas

Simon is a Partner and former Head of Clinical Negligence at Wolferstans LLP.

He specialises in complex, high value brain and spinal injury claims and has particular expertise in acting for children and young adults who have cerebral palsy.

Simon is a member of Action against Medical Accidents’ (AvMA) Clinical Negligence Specialist Panel. He is also a Fellow of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) and one of only a handful of Solicitors in the entire country to be accredited by APIL as both a clinical negligence specialist and a brain injury specialist. Simon is also accredited by Headway, the National Brain Injury Association.

Simon has been recognised as a leading clinical negligence lawyer for many years by both the Legal500 and Chambers Guide to the Legal Profession. He has been described in the Chambers Guide as a ‘very approachable lawyer who shows great empathy’ and commended for a ‘level of experience which is second to none’.

Simon was shortlisted for the Clinical Negligence Lawyer of the Year at the Personal Injury Awards 2017.

Simon has undertaken Claimant clinical negligence litigation since 1986 and has specialised exclusively in this area of work since 1991.

Simon has achieved many multi-million pound settlements for his clients; the largest claim to date, which is one of the largest settlements ever in a personal injury or clinical negligence case, being in excess of £33.4 million.

Simon has recovered over £100 million in damages for his clients.

Cerebral Palsy Claims

Simon has extensive experience of investigating Cerebral Palsy Claims for children and adults.

Simon has previously investigated or is currently investigating Cerebral Palsy Claims involving failures and/or delays in diagnosing and/or treating the following medical conditions:

Intrapartum (during labour and delivery) hypoxia/asphyxia including cases of chronic partial asphyxia and acute near total asphyxia

Kernicterus (jaundice)

Hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar)

Hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar)

Cardiac problems (congenital heart defects)

Infection (maternal and/or external)

Meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia

Group B Streptococcus

Simon has also investigated Cerebral Palsy claims in other circumstances, including:

The use of excessive force during forceps’ delivery

The failure to perform a caesarean section

The failure of and inability of the medical staff to use medical equipment

Medication errors

Brain Injury Claims

Simon has extensive experience of investigating Brain Injury Claims for children and adults.

Simon has previously investigated or is currently investigating Brain Injury Claims involving failures and/or delays in diagnosing and/or treating the following medical conditions:

ADEM (acute disseminated encephalomyelitis)

AVM (arteriovenous malformation)

Brain abscess

Brain tumours

Cardiac arrest (resulting in hypoxia/asphyxia)

Cerebral vasculitis

Diabetic ketoacidosis

Hydrocephalus

Infections (including chicken pox virus, e-coli, herpes virus and septicaemia)

Infective endocarditis

Meningitis

Mycotic aneurysms

Shunt blockages and infections

Stroke

Subarachnoid haemorrhage

Subdural and other haemorrhages (sustained after falls striking head)

Subdural empyema

TIA (transient ischemic attacks)

Simon has also investigated Brain Injury claims in other circumstances, including:

Falls in hospital

Complications arising during and after surgery

Attempts by patients to take their own lives

Patients in a Vegetative or Minimally Conscious State

Spinal Injury Claims

Simon also has extensive experience of investigating Spinal Injury Claims.

Simon has previously investigated or is currently investigating Spinal Injury Claims involving failures and/or delays in diagnosing and/or treating the following medical conditions:

Cauda equina syndrome

Disc prolapse

Spinal abscess

Spinal fractures

Spinal haematoma

Spinal tumour

Vitamin B12 deficiency (resulting in sub-acute demyelination of the spinal cord)

Simon has also investigated Spinal Injury Claims in other circumstances, including:

Spinal cord damage resulting from negligently performed epidural injections and spinal blocks

Sub-standard surgery

Failures by Paramedics to mobilise patients with spinal fractures prior to transporting them to hospital

Falls in hospital

Simon also has experience in investigating Spinal Injury Claims resulting from the excessive use of Entonox administered for pain relief.

Simon used to play rugby for Plymouth Albion RFC but nowadays his sporting exploits are confined to the odd round of golf and the occasional open water swim for charity.

Simon is a Trustee of Headway Plymouth, a local charity respectively promoting awareness of and helping the victims of acquired brain injury and prostate cancer.