What if the worst happens? Lessons from a barrister, with Matthew Snarr

Today's Guest

Matthew Snarr has been a barrister for over 20 years and specialises in personal injury cases both for defendants and claimants, predominantly working in large catastrophic cases.

Matthew joins us to talk about why some cases go to court, what happens if you end up at court, and how cases are won and lost.

We also discuss what it's like being a defendant in court and how to best position yourself in this situation.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-snarr-90289626/

You'll learn

• Why cases go to court.
• What happens if you end up in court.
• How cases are won and lost.
• What it's like for a defendant to be a witness in a case.
• How to put yourself to be in the best position if you end up in court.

Resources

• Nine St John Street

In this episode, we talk about:

[02:51] The difference between civil and criminal cases.

[04:07] Changes in the sentencing guidelines for health and safety criminal cases.

[05:05] What classes something as a risk.

[07:45] Key factors that lead to cases going to court instead of being settled.

[12:25] How the burden of proof is different between civil and criminal cases.

[15:15] The deciding factors as to whether a case is won or lost.

[16:53] The importance of having good documentation and the forms this takes.

[20:42] How emails can be used by defendants in claims.

[24:40] The importance of health and safety procedures being clear and simple.

[27:40] What it's like being a defendant in court.

[32:28] The amount of personal injury experience circuit judges have.

[37:20] How to position yourself best as a defendant.

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Quotables

• 25:09 - "In any case, particularly if you are defending a case, you need a simple story and you need a simple solution to what is often a simple problem."
• 35:28 - "In order to win a case you need a simple story, it needs to be straightforward, and I think that works for both sides of the fence."
• 40:44 - "It's about caring for your employees and making sure they care for each other."

#safety #insurance #riskmanagement #law