All unnatural deaths in England are notified to the Coroner who will determine whether he has a duty to investigate the death to determine who, when, where and how someone came to their death.
In some instances, the Inquest is the only avenue open to families to learn how their loved one came to their death and to understand whether similar deaths can be avoided in the future.
The Inquest not only provides a vital public service to the State but also a valuable source of information to family particularly where there has been no police investigation and/or criminal prosecution.
At Moore Barlow, our Serious Injury Team specialises in supporting clients at Inquest, acting either on a standalone basis or in connection with an insurance claim.
At an Inquest the Coroner will admit into evidence documents that the Coroner believes may assist with the investigation into the circumstances leading to the death which may include reports from police, fire, ambulance, hospital, GP’s, HSE, local authority, and similar. Also, the Coroner will call witnesses who can assist with their account to establish what happened. In absent of an Inquest these documents and witnesses may otherwise not be available to the bereaved family therefore a solicitor can invite the Coroner to consider what material and witnesses to be included at Inquest.
Whilst a Coroner will lead the Inquest, managing the evidence and questions of the witnesses it nevertheless can be a daunting process for the family who are not familiar with the process or what to expect. There is a real benefit of representation at an Inquest, as a Solicitor acting for the family will be able to advise upon the process, the evidence, and how best the families questions can be incorporated into the Inquest. The Solicitor will also be the fearless advocate for the family which is important should other persons attending the Inquest be legally represented.
A Solicitor on behalf of the family can invite the Coroner at the conclusion of the Inquest, on the basis of the investigation heard, to make a Regulation 28 Report which is to prevent future deaths in similar circumstances. In deaths arising from a road traffic collision the Regulation 28 Report may be directed by the Coroner to the Authority responsible for the design of a road if it is considered that the design of the road may be flawed.
We recently acted for Yvonne Doolan at Inquest in respect of her son where through examination of the witnesses at the Inquest we were able to establish the circumstances which then led to us seeking from the Coroner a Regulation 28 Report which he made to the Authority responsible for the design of the road in terms of whether additional signage at an earlier position on the road may assist drivers and avoid future crash.
I recently lost my 18-year-old son in a tragic road accident, and I had the solicitor Matthew Claxson from Moore Barlow LLP supporting me with the many concerns and issues surrounding my son’s death. Matthew was second to none. He was sympathetic, respectful, honest and genuinely truthful in every interaction.
From our very first call, his communication was fantastic. He kept in touch, kept to his word, and continuously updated me. He accompanied me to the inquest, where he was both supportive and highly professional. He made sure every question I had was addressed, and it was clear that he had paid close attention to every detail. He spoke exceptionally well in court, and several people commented on how amazing he was.
I truly could not have got through the day of the inquest, or the difficult lead-up to it, without his support, expertise and professionalism. I am genuinely grateful for everything he has done for myself and my beloved son.
Yvonne Doolan
How Moore Barlow can help
If you have been asked to attend an Inquest, contact our specialist Inquest team at Moore Barlow on 0800 157 7611 or by email at [email protected] to discuss how we can help, with a clear focus on supporting clients at Inquest.
Matthew Claxson is a Partner and a Solicitor within the Moore Barlow LLP Serious Injury Team. He is highly experienced at representing families in serious injury claims and supporting clients at Inquest. He is the nominated Solicitor for Moore Barlow on the legal panel for RoadPeace, the national road safety charity for those injured or bereaved by road crash.
