About Paul Fretwell
I am a Partner and head of George Ide LLP’s Personal Injury department, undertaking complex and high value claims. I am a specialist in brain, spine, amputee, musculo- skeletal and other catastrophic / life changing injury cases. My recent settlements include awards of £5million (brain stem/ spinal) and in excess of £800,000 (ankle injury). I have a strong focus on rehabilitation to help maximise quality of life, and have a strong motivation to fight for justice. I work closely with rehabilitation professionals to ensure that all support is "working" and I am not afraid to gently "shake things up" in the legal process to make sure rehabilitation works effectively. In above-elbow, and below knee, amputation cases I have been able to coordinate access to and funding for cutting edge prosthetic limbs which have greatly improved quality of life. Other successes include;
- £3.6 million for a client paralysed from the waist down
- £3.8 million (lump sum equivalent) for a brain injury client (aged 60-plus)
- £1.6 million for a brain injured client
- £800,000 for a client with an orthopaedic and psychiatric injuries.
Where personal injury claimants have failed to receive adequate damages as a result of another adviser's negligence, I am able to act on their behalf too. For example, I settled a case for a client whose previous lawyers had negligently valued her brain injury case at £100,000. I was able to secure an additional £800,000 in compensation from the negligent lawyer's insurers.
I qualified as a solicitor in 1990, and since then have worked on a variety of cases including professional negligence, clinical negligence, personal injury claims for victims of sexual abuse, claims involving the Police and claims against the Ministry of Defence. I have also been involved in a number of group actions involving abuse at care homes.
I joined George Ide LLP in 2003.
Having experienced a great deal of success in recent years in face-to-face settlement meetings to conclude high value claims, I pride myself on being able to forge working relationships based upon mutual respect and good humour. I am particularly aware that honest and straightforward comunication is what will bring a case to a fair conclusion. However, I also possess a tenacious approach to evidence gathering and am not afraid of driivng the legal process forward by adopting a robust stance. Chambers Legal Directory recognises me as a leading practitioner in the South of England and describes me (2021 edition) as "He is outstanding. He has great empathy for his clients and the ability to get the best possible results."in (2020 edition) as "tactically astute, innovative in his approach and good at dealing with tough opponents, but he is also very in tune with his clients' needs and never loses sight of the bigger picture" (2018 edition) as “a major player whose talents are recognised by the insurance industry” and (2019 edition) as "excellent....has great empathy with his clients and genuinely goes the extra mile to secure the greatest financial benefit for them”.
Memberships/assocaitions
APIL accredited Brain Injury specialist and Senior Litigator, Law Society Personal Injury Panel member since 1994. George Ide LLP is a member of Headway, Spinal Injuries Association, Brain Injury Group.