Mark Douglas

Mark started his career with Crutes in 1989 as an office junior and was offered position of trainee in 1990. He was one of the youngest in the country, at that time, to become qualified and admitted as a member of ILEX at the age of 22. Subsequently, he was admitted as a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives in 1998. He has a wide range of experience dealing with civil litigation matters specialising in defendant personal injury litigation. He acts for a number of insurance clients and local authorities dealing with employers, public and occupiers liability cases. He also has specialist knowledge dealing with disease litigation to include asbestos related matters, deafness, hand/arm vibration syndrome and occupational asthma.

Email: mark.douglas@crutes.co.uk | DDI: 0191 233 9737

Joanne Kingsland

Joanne studied at Sheffield University qualifying as a Solicitor in 1989. Following graduation she returned to the North East and has worked for Crutes since January 1995.

Joanne works in the Public Services’ Department acting on behalf of a number of local authorites spread across the north of England, including clients in the Yorkshire area, dealing with a range of public, occupiers’ and employers’ liability claims. She has a particular interest in dealing with claims against schools including sporting accidents and claims involving children’s play. She has also talked at various training sessions and seminars on this subject.

Joanne’s specialist area of work is dealing with highly sensitive and high profile claims involving child abuse, failure to educate and bullying. She recently conducted the case of C v Middlesbrough Council [2008] resulting in a landmark House of Lords’ decision on limitation.

Email: joanne.kingsland@crutes.co.uk | DDI : 0191 233 9727

Simon Matthews

Simon joined Crutes specialist claims team from national rival DLA Piper, bringing with him a wealth of experience and knowledge in defending claims arising from industrial disease, fatalities and product liability. Simon has a particular interest in HAVS, respiratory diseases including cancers, dermatological conditions and work related upper limb disorders.

Simon represented the defendants in the case of Gray v Vesuvius where the defendant successfully argued that the exposure to vibration was not “near daily” as required by the guidance of the time. He has also secured a number of discontinuances on arguments relating to medical causation in vibration induced CTS, de minimus in Deafness and HAVS, plateauing in HAVS and employer date of knowledge in HAVS. Simon is currently a Lobby Officer for the national Forum of Insurance Lawyers (FOIL) Executive and regularly provides training to clients, insurers and others on a range of topics as well as writing articles for various industry publications. Simon also speaks at Regional and National seminars, most recently, Simon spoke at the Quarry Products Association Health & Safety Seminar on the subject of silica related respiratory diseases.

Email: simon.matthews@crutes.co.uk | DDI : 0191 233 9734

Jane Varvell

Jane is a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives who qualified in 2000, and has worked at Crutes for ten years. Working in the Public Services Department, she has over thirteen years experience in Civil Litigation and is responsible for working with, and for, a number of Local Authorities and their insurers

The majority of Jane's work involves defending claims against Local Authorities dealing with public liability, road traffic, employer’s liability and disease claims, including asbestos, vibration white finger and rhinitis.

Prior to joining Crutes she gained experience dealing with employer’s liability claims including generic industrial disease work notably for the British Coal Corporation.

Email: jane.varvell@crutes.co.uk | DDI : 01777 861 847