Mr Sercombe, of Hythe, pursued a Personal Injury claim through Kate Kennell, Partner at Girlings Personal Injury Claims, Ashford.
The claim arose out of a fire that occurred at the Claimant’s family home on 18th November 2020. The Claimant was at home at the time the fire broke out and had to rescue his daughter, who was trapped upstairs and unable to escape due to the extent of the fire. They tragically lost their home, all of their belongings and one of their dogs to the fire. As a consequence, the Claimant developed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, (PTSD).
He therefore sought legal advice arising from negligence on the part of an electrical company, Sean Davey Electrical Limited, who had carried out electrical works prior to the fire occurring at the Claimant’s home.
The Defendant denied that their negligence was the cause of the fire. As a consequence, Girlings Personal Injury Claims had to instruct an Electrical Engineer and a Forensic Engineer to prove negligence on the part of the Defendant. The Defendant failed to provide any engineering evidence to defend the claim.
Throughout the claim, the Defendant solicitors failed to progress the claim in a proactive manner, nor did they engage in mediation or alternative dispute resolution.
In addition, the Claimant had to obtain expert evidence from a Consultant Psychiatrist to support the nature, cause and prognosis of the PTSD and to prove that it was wholly attributable to the Defendant’s negligence.
In turn, the Defendant instructed an expert, Dr Wise, who relied upon performance validity testing to attempt to discredit the Claimant’s credibility. This was robustly defended, and neuropsychology evidence was obtained from Dr Khan-Bourne to defend any allegations relied upon in Dr Wise’s report and to counteract his evidence.
Shortly before the trial date in January 2026, the Claimant’s case was settled in the sum of £390,000 in full and final settlement of his claim.
Mr Sercombe said of the legal services provided:
"Kate Kennell was superb through the lengthy legal process. She provided me, along with my eldest daughter, with much support and guidance through what has been an extremely traumatic time spanning five years. Having lost our home, all our belongings and one of our precious dogs due to the fire, we needed someone to be completely empathetic to our situation, and Kate provide the perfect balance between professional competence and strong compassion. Thank you so much Kate and to all your dedicated team”.