Sean McGahan

Sean specialises in defence personal injury work, with a particular focus on industrial disease, product liability, construction and catastrophic injury claims.

He has over 28 years’ experience advising clients across a range of sectors. His key clients include insurers, high street retailers and a water and sewerage utility.

Sean is known for taking a strategic view of litigation risk for clients, drawing on his risk management credentials as an IRM Certified Risk Specialist.

Relevant experience includes:

• Successful repudiation of a quadriplegic personal injury claim arising from a fall from height during construction. Sean proactively and directly investigated the incident on site, gathering together the detailed evidence required to put forward a strong defence.
• Successfully deploying his knowledge of risk management to secure a successful dismissal of a High Court PL slipping claim against a national retailer in which the claimant sustained a severe arm fracture amongst other injuries. Despite there being no credibility issues and in the absence of a Ward – Tesco Stores defence. Sean employed his in-depth knowledge of risk to fully utilise the risk functions of the policyholder to produce a compelling argument on the correct standard of care, which was accepted.
• Successfully repudiation of a product liability claim by using the procedures available pre-proceedings, using the Pre-Action Protocol in Northern Ireland.

Sean is recognised by Chambers and Partners with a Band 1 ranking, with Chambers noting his substantial experience in personal injury cases, including public and employer’s liability claims. Chambers quote a client as commenting that “He is very approachable, knowledgeable and down to earth.”

Sean is also recognised in the Legal 500 as a Leading Individual, noting his “particular expertise in handling product liability personal injury and industrial disease claims.”

Sean was twice-voted the UK ‘Eclipse Proclaim Defendant Personal Injury Lawyer of the Year’ and the team he lead won ‘Eclipse Proclaim Defendant Personal Injury Team of the Year’.

In addition, Sean is a Specialist Member of the Institute of Risk Management and he continues to engage with the IRM as chairperson of the Regional Group for Northern Ireland. He is a much sought after speaker on issues of risk and law.