Diane Askwith: Partner

The PI Team: Diane Askwith

Partner: 

Diane Askwith is a Chartered Legal Executive with over 18 years of experience in representing claimants who have been seriously injured.  Diane trained at a national law firm where she developed experience in a wide range of personal injury matters.  She has experience in dealing with life-changing injuries including spinal injuries, amputations, brain injuries, fatal accidents, multiple fractures, and injuries to internal organs.  She also represents victims of abuse and complex disease claims such as occupational stress, work-related upper limb disorders, and hand-arm vibration syndrome.  She also has experience in Court of Protection work involving the overlap with personal injury claims and mental capacity issues.  Diane has genuine empathy for her clients and a passion to achieve justice and maximum damages. 

Expertise and experience

Diane has a special interest in Armed Forces Claims and has represented many serving and ex-service personnel over the years to seek compensation when they have suffered needlessly during the course of their duties.  Diane represented a Royal Marine who suffered a non-freezing cold injury to his hands and feet which was entirely preventable had complaints of injury been heeded by the chain of command and correct equipment provided.  Sadly, he lost his military career due to the serious nature of the injury, the opportunity to progress in the services, and the opportunity to obtain work in uniformed services post-Army.  His case settled for £780k.

Diane fully understands the impact a serious injury can have on a claimant and their families and has the expertise to ensure her clients receive the right level of damages, correct medical treatment, rehabilitation, and interim payments.  Her detailed knowledge of the law and practice allows her to get the best results for her clients. 

Diane has dealt with a number of high-profile cases including Patterson v MoD 2012 which was a reported case and involved a determination of what constitutes a “disease” for the purpose of setting the correct level of success fee in a non-freezing cold injury claim.  The case had wider implications on the definition of “disease”.  She also represented the family in a claim against a local Police Force following a tragic fatal accident involving a Police Officer who drove at speed with an underinflated tyre.  The case attracted national publicity and involved two failed criminal trials and the eventual settlement of civil damages. 

Charitable work

Diane has raised thousands of pounds for charity through running events for her nominated charities including Headway, Alzheimer’s Research UK, and Diabetes UK.  In her spare time, she enjoys walking and cycling (running now is out of the question due to injury).  She also enjoys spending time with her cats and can often be found in her potting shed planting seeds and looking out for the next exciting variety of flowers and vegetables.