Lawyer in the news

Who? Stuart Brazington, 36-year-old personal injury partner at 50-partner west country firm Clarke Willmott & Clarke.

Why is he in the news? Represents Jamie Heaton, the 16-year-old boy who was awarded 3.7 million in the High Court last week as compensation for brain injuries he sustained when he was hit by a van in 1995.

Jamie stepped out into the road as he played with friends in the early evening, and was hit by the wing mirror of a passing van, which failed to stop after the accident.

Background: LLB at Sheffield University 1983-86, followed by Law Society finals at Chester College of Law in 1987.

He qualified with Clarke Willmott & Clarke in 1991, and became a partner in 2001.

Route to the case: 'My client literally walked in off the street.'

Thoughts on the case: 'Although it seems like a huge amount of money, Jamie will never be able to work, so the award has to last him for the rest of his life.

His injuries aren't immediately noticeable, but after speaking to him for a while you realise that he functions on the same level as a nine-year-old: he has behavioural and cognitive problems, very limited concentration span, is epileptic and has short-term memory failings.

There was not enough evidence to prosecute the driver for dangerous driving, but he pleaded guilty to failing to stop and was fined 100 with 50 costs.'

Dealing with the media: 'In my line of work I try to keep media attention to a minimum, as clients who have been awarded large sums of money do not usually want everyone to know about it.

This case in particular has to be handled carefully, as Jamie is very vulnerable and his money could be a target for unscrupulous people.

However, the press do have the right to report cases, and I try to be helpful to journalists once they have got hold of the story.'

Victoria MacCallum