Simon Ellis

Simon Ellis is a Partner with Hugh James and has worked with the firm for more than 20 years, having joined in 1998. He trained and qualified with Hugh James in 2000 and became a Partner in 2009. Simon is head of the firm’s noise induced hearing loss and unitary disease work. He has previously developed a leading reputation advising former miners seeking compensation for Vibration White Finger as a result of their employment with British Coal. This case is one of the largest pieces of civil litigation in British legal history.

Simon now specialises in advising current and former members of the armed forces suffering with various conditions, with particular emphasis on hearing loss. He currently leads a department of more than 40, handling over 3,000 claims on behalf of current and former military personnel from all over the UK. His case of Inglis v MoD [2019] EWHC 1153 (QB) recently won Case of the Year at the PI Awards 2019. In this case Simon recovered more than £500,000 for a former Royal Marine suffering with hearing loss. The judgment has implications for the way in which future loss of earnings should be calculated in cases where the claimant is considered disabled.

In addition Simon represents civilian clients suffering with vibration white finger, industrial deafness and various work related cancers. He regularly contributes articles for the press relating to industrial disease issues and has given interviews on radio and television. Simon has also written articles and drafted a number of precedent documents for Lexis Nexis and is one of their panel contributors for industrial disease. He is the author of the Butterworths PI Litigation Service chapter on military law. Simon is regularly asked to give training to solicitors and barristers in the industrial disease work he undertakes.

Simon regularly has work referred to him from other firms and barristers due to his expertise and is often asked to consider more unusual types of industrial disease. He has been at the forefront of seeking justice for clients suffering with less common illnesses, caused through the work they carried out.