Meet The Key Team Members

Kevin Finneran

Kevin is a senior Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury solicitor with over 30 years experience of dealing with medical incidents and other types of accidents resulting in catastrophic injuries. Kevin works closely with specialist King’s Counsel and leading experts on these cases to achieve the best possible settlement for his clients. He joined the firm in July 2020.

His specialist experience includes neonatal injuries, severe brain and spinal injuries, amputations, misdiagnosis, delayed cancer diagnosis, sepsis, asbestos-related diseases and fatal injuries.

Kevin handles cases involving functional neurological disorder and works with leading experts in FND.
He also represents claimants whose compensation claims have been negligently mishandled in pursuing their cases against their former representatives.

Kevin has secured the following awards for clients in recent years:

• £11 million against a GP who failed to diagnose meningitis in a 17 month old toddler, who suffered brain damage and hearing loss as a result.
• Two cases where workmen suffered falls from height whilst working on roofs and scaffold, causing severe spinal injuries; Kevin negotiated awards of £2.4 and £2 million, respectively.
• Failure to diagnose and treat sepsis after a routine hernia repair operation, resulting in an award of £335,000.
• Securing £820,000 for a widow whose husband died after a hospital trust failed to diagnose and treat necrotising fasciitis (a form of sepsis) after a routine haemorrhoid operation.
• Achieving an award of £650,000 for failure to diagnose a blood clot, which resulted in the claimant undergoing an avoidable knee amputation. 
• Acting in the M5 fireworks crash, one of Britain’s deadliest pileups, where 7 people died and 51 passengers were injured. Kevin secured a settlement of £800,000 for just one of the passengers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_M5_motorway_crash.
• Negotiated a settlement of £280,000 for a claimant who suffered brain damage after being hit by an inadequately anchored outdoor tennis table that blew away in a storm.
• Numerous asbestos disease claims, including a former retired engineer who machined laminates containing asbestos (£250,000); a widower whose wife made brake pads containing asbestos (£200,000); and a carpenter who cut asbestos sheets with an electric saw (£200,000).
• Recent settlements of pedestrians and motorcyclists, each in the region of £1,000,000; including the cost of future medical treatment, loss of earnings and impact on careers.

Kevin has dealt with many high value claims for business owners whose injuries prevented them from continuing their companies. In several complex cases, he coordinated and obtained expert evidence from accountants, surveyors, pension and employment specialists to achieve substantial awards.

We recognise that whilst no amount of money can buy back good health or life in some tragic cases, having an experienced lawyer like Kevin to secure a substantial award gives an injured person some control over their future options. Kevin works tirelessly for his clients to ensure the best possible settlement, including securing early interim payments, medical treatment and rehabilitation. Litigation can be stressful and wearing, and Kevin aims to guide you comfortably through the process to a successful conclusion.

Kevin’s hobbies and interests include skiing, yoga, cycling and gardening.

Stuart Stamps

Stuart joined the firm in 2020, during the Covid pandemic, when the firm was inundated with pedestrians and cyclists being hit by motorists. He started as a paralegal, and having completed the Legal Practise Course, many years ago, he switched careers from teaching and undertook a training contract at SC Law. He qualified as a solicitor in April 2024. Initially, Stuart gained experience in road traffic claims, but soon developed a niche speciality in contributory negligence cases, where a defendant attempts to hold a claimant partly responsible for their injuries. Stuart robustly challenges any allegations of contributory negligence made against claimants who we represent and is almost always successful in his cases. He also works closely alongside lead lawyers in cases involving very serious and catastrophic injuries.  

Stuart has a strong eye for contributory negligence and has been successful in using case law to argue significant reductions against defendants. This often involves carrying out detailed analyses of CCTV, video footage and photographs in relation to liability issues. Stuart has a proven track record in negotiating liability to ensure that our clients receive the most favourable settlements.

Some of Stuart’s most recent complex liability cases involved:

• A case where a young female whose newly purchased chair snapped and collapsed. As a result, she was left with a large permanent, visible scar. Stuart thoroughly researched similar claims against the manufacturer and succeeding in proving negligence.
• After following the exact instructions of a manual to erect a wooden shed, the claimant’s upper skull was lacerated due to a part that was wrongly designed. Numerous arguments ensued on the issue of liability. Eventually, the manufacturer conceded the design was inherently dangerous.
• A builder fell through scaffold boards wrongly installed, resulting in multiple injuries, including a puncture to his torso. Each contractor passed the buck, blaming each other, with none accepting fault for the accident. After extensive legal arguments, Stuart was successful against the main contractor, also being the claimant’s employer.

As part of his hobbies, Stuart is a keen mountain walker and musician. In his spare time, he practises and teaches martial arts and self-defence classes.

Caroline Emmett

Caroline is a senior paralegal and heads up the IT at the firm, as well as managing the firm’s software and cyber security.

She joined the firm in August 2019. In her legal role, she assists the senior lawyers with different aspects of cases and manages our clients’ medical records. Caroline works closely with the lead lawyers in cases involving very serious and catastrophic injuries.

She also handles our new client enquiries.

Caroline was previously a computer programmer and is a qualified teacher. She also has an interest in Surrogacy Law.
In her spare time, she enjoys travelling and country walks.

Patrick Johnston

Patrick manages the firm’s social media and marketing work.

He joined the company in 2021 having previously worked as a journalist. He researches and writes articles on developments in law and works alongside clients as they conclude their time with SC Law, making sure they are happy with the service they received.

He holds a Master’s degree in media and communication from City, University of London.

Part of Patrick’s role involves raising health and safety awareness by presenting to young children in nurseries and primary schools about cycle safety from an early age.

Patrick also works with local Harrow and Pinner based disability charities and organises sponsorship for local community events and primary schools.

In his spare time, Patrick enjoys playing tennis and reading.

In Memory of Claire Hodgson

During her career, Claire helped hundreds of claimants over the years. She was legendary in her pursuit of justice and frequently gave free advice to members of the public, while walking her dog.

Claire was a real favourite with both her clients, work colleagues and other Personal Injury Lawyers around the UK. As a specialist Industrial Disease Solicitor, Claire had extensive experience in handling complex civil actions and settled several mesothelioma cases for substantial awards, including ‘lost years of life’.

Claire was a member of multiple notable organisations, including, the Legal 500, where she was regularly consulted by solicitors throughout the UK; the Claimants’ Steering Committee for the high profile British Coal VWF Litigation; the Law Society’s highly accredited Personal Injury Panel. Since 1999, Claire was also the co-organiser of the Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome Symposium and contributed to Sweet & Maxwell’s Occupational Illness Litigation (Ed, Andrew Macdonald).
Claire was also an experienced horse owner and frequently advised in relation to equine related incidents.

When people surfed their phones over a morning coffee, Claire would sit and read law reports! Claire passed away in August 2019 following a short illness.