Alan Care
Senior Litigation Executive
Specialisms and expertise
Alan has acquired his unique knowledge of 'toxic torts' over 25 years. Alan's specialisation includes 'toxic' poisoning claims and he is recognised within the Personal Injury world as a leader in this field. He was a director on the board of the Pesticides Trust (1995-1999) and Co-ordinator of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) Environment Special Interest Group (2000-2008) and accredited as a Fellow in October 2006. Alan has been quoted in many newspapers, journals, TV media and documentaries and has written a substantial number of published articles. He has given presentations to, among others, the University of Surrey Applied Toxicology Course on Chemical Poisoning Litigation.
Alan has a particular specialism in asbestos cases. He was influential in the Mesothelioma 'Fast Track' being introduced and subsequently being rolled out nationwide which has succeeded in many hundreds of mesothelioma victims receiving compensation more quickly.
Notable cases
Alan is perhaps most well known for the 'Porton Down litigation' and campaign for veterans. This included the much reported Sarin nerve agent experiment and death of Ronald Maddison in 1953. The new 2004 Maddison inquest was then the longest inquest in UK legal history, demonstrating Alan's commitment and tenacity. The jury returned a verdict of 'unlawful killing'. The family's claim was subsequently settled for £100,000, an exceptional amount considering the date of death. Claims were also settled by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Secret Intelligence Services for secret LSD experiments also carried out at Porton Down in the 1950s. The Porton Down veterans Multi-Party Action was settled by the MoD following a mediation for £3 million damages and an historic apology given to the veterans in the House of Commons in 2007. Further claims were settled in 2008/9. Alan was shortlisted for 'The Porton Down litigation' by the Proclaim/Eclipse Personal Injury awards 2008 as 'Case of the Year'. Alan has recovered £8.5 million in compensation for his clients since joining the firm.
Other notable cases include:
- first successful UK pesticide claim settlements
- UK soft tissue sarcoma PCP (dioxin contamination) claim
- assisting US lawyers with Benlate 'Children born without eyes' fungicide claims
- Dioxin 'Coalite' farming losses/for land contamination
- Solvent injury claims - particularly CTE (Chronic Toxic Encephalopathy).
What his clients say
- 'Fought really hard and got a result which other solicitors couldn't do'
- 'Personal…explaining everything in words and language I could understand and keeping me up to date'
- 'Alan…is innovative in coming at cases from a lateral angle'
- 'I have been profoundly grateful to Alan… for chemical victims to find somebody who is prepared to help and who knows how to. It has been quite extraordinary'
- 'Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant from the time I walked in the door'
Profile
Alan joined Thomson Snell & Passmore in 2002 and started his career at the Royal Courts of Justice, Companies Court and studied Environmental Science. He transferred to Thames Polytechnic obtaining an Upper Second Class Degree in Sociology.
Thomson Snell & Passmore's Personal Injury team is ranked in the top tier by leading independent guide to UK law firms, The Legal 500. The guide praises Alan's experience in occupational disease as being ‘second to none’.