In this entry of our “Spotlight On…” mini-series, where we shine a light on individuals in the team, we speak to Sally Richards from our Personal Injury & Medical Negligence team.
Sally shares her route into the profession, the people who have influenced her career, her connection to North Wales and what she finds most rewarding about supporting clients through personal injury and clinical negligence claims.
Background & motivation
What first brought you into your area of law, and what keeps you interested in it?
I knew from a young age I wanted to work within law and was not put off by my work experience at Huw Elwyn Jones in Bangor building shelving for archived files.
I have been very fortunate to have had support from my family and wider family friends together with amazing mentors throughout my career. As a trainee Legal Executive, I was very fortunate to join the Personal Injury team at Walker Smith and Way; to work with specialist solicitors assisting on high profile claims.
Knowing the work I do can genuinely improve someone’s future is what keeps me motivated every day.
Connection to North Wales
What’s your connection to North Wales, and what do you enjoy most about working here?
grew up and went to school on Ynys Mon, it’s lovely to be back on welsh soil.
Is there a particular place, walk or hidden gem in the region you always recommend to people?
That would be giving away a peaceful “hidden gem”…
Work & expertise
What part of your work do people often misunderstand?
Clients can sometimes underestimate the time needed to build a case to ensure we achieve the very best outcome for them and that you cannot rely on having suffered an injury to successfully recover damages.
Is there a recent change or trend in your area of law that you think people should know about?
There continue to be changes and which impact on access to justice in particular in personal injury and clinical negligence claims more recently with the whiplash reforms in 2021 and extending fixed costs to cases over the value of £25,000 and limited to £100,000 October 2023.
What’s the most rewarding part of your job day to day?
After an injury, clients can feel overwhelmed by lost income, uncertainty and how to move on with their lives. Being able to help them through one of the most difficult periods of their lives is very important.
Understanding their concerns; being able to take the burden off their shoulders to concentrate on their recovery, guiding them through the legal process, arranging rehabilitation and working with them to secure the compensation they need to move forward with their lives.
Seeing a client regain confidence and move forward is one of the most satisfying aspects of working in law.
