Vlora Smedley

Vlora is a Barrister in our specialist advocacy service, 8 DAC Beachcroft Buildings (8DB).

Vlora specialises in civil litigation with a focus on personal injury litigation, employer and public liability claims, disease claims, motor claims, recoveries, civil enforcement and costs. She also has experience in fatal accident claims and inquest work.

Vlora has over 12 years collective experience in these areas, advising and representing clients in both a Claimant and Defendant capacity.  Vlora has been instructed to act on behalf of some of the country’s leading motor, home and public liability insurers.

Vlora has appeared before a variety of courts and tribunals including the High Court and County Court.  She is regularly instructed to attend trials, applications, CMCs and CCMCs (securing significant reductions on Claimant budgets over the last five years) as well as assessment, disposal and Stage 3 hearings.

Vlora has experience of cases involving the withdrawal of indemnity, avoidance of cover, and the MIB. She has also successfully obtained declarations for Article 75 insurer status. Vlora’s work also includes cases involving complex injuries (including minors), fatal accident claims and Court of Protection claims.

Vlora has a solid drafting practice, including statements of case, applications, Part 35 and Part 18 questions, along with advices on prospects, liability and quantum. Vlora also has experience drafting CRU appeals/mandatory reconsiderations.

Vlora’s personal injury practice is complimented by her costs experience which enables her to provide strategic advice throughout the litigation process. She has received numerous instructions to draft and attend applications for costs, wasted costs, non-party costs and applications to dis-apply QOCS.

Relevant experience / notable cases includes:

• (H v. H) – Vlora appeared for the Defendant/Respondent on appeal where the Claimant had unsuccessfully applied to rely on its own engineering evidence (where evidence of a single joint expert has already been obtained). The Claimant’s application was refused at first instance and his appeal was subsequently dismissed by Mr Justice Martin Spencer.
• (G v. B Ltd) – Acting for the Defendant in an EL claim where the Claimant had failed to restore the company to the register pre-issue, Vlora obtained an order striking out the claim, despite the Claimant’s cross application for a stay of proceedings, along with an order for costs with QOCs dis-applied.
• (X v. H) – Vlora appeared for the Claimant insurer and successfully defended an application for relief from sanctions. Thereafter she secured a declaration pursuant to section 152(2)(b) of the Road Traffic Act.
• (O v. H) – Vlora appeared for the Defendant at a CCMC with instructions to seek like for like evidence from orthopaedic, psychiatric and pain experts. This was hotly contested by Claimant’s Counsel but Vlora secured permission to obtain and rely on evidence from all disciplines and achieved a 63% reduction on the Claimant’s budget.
• (P v. R) 2019 – Vlora applied to strike out the Claimant’s claim due to a failure to identify the tortfeasor in a claim issues directly against the insurer under the European Communities (Rights Against Insurers) Regulations 2002. The claim was struck out, the Defendant awarded its costs and QOCS dis-applied.

Professional memberships, include:

• Personal Injury Bar Association (PIBA)
• The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple

Vlora is regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) and holds a current practising certificate. If you are not satisfied with the service provided, please contact BSB.