Anna Wilkinson has an established practice in civil insurance fraud and regularly undertakes work on behalf of defendant insurers in relation to suspicious or fraudulent insurance claims, including cases involving road traffic accidents, slips and trips and accidents at work.
Anna has extensive experience of cases involving staged accidents, low-velocity impact (LVI), bogus passengers and exaggerated personal injury claims. She is also familiar with the legal issues which arise in credit hire claims.
Anna has experience in acting for travel companies in cases involving flight delays and alleged breaches under the Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992 (the “Regulations”) and ABTA code of conduct. Anna is familiar with HACCP and the issues that arise in defending holiday sickness claims following the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Wood v TUI Travel, and is acutely aware of the need for travel companies to consider each claim presented to it with considerable caution in light of the recent surge in fraudulent holiday sickness claims.
As Anna’s practice also includes regulatory work she has experience of prosecutions for various types of fraud in addition to those brought for breaches of fire, environmental, and health and safety regulations. This experience gives Anna an ability to advise insurance clients in respect of their prospects in criminal cases arising from fraudulent claims for compensation.
She regularly deals with interlocutory and preliminary hearings, including those to add insurers as a defendants, set aside judgment, deal with expert evidence issues, case-management conferences and associated costs arguments.
Anna ensures she is aware of recent legal developments in the post-Mitchell climate, including the judgments in Durrant v Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Constabulary; Adlington & Ors v ELS International Lawyers; and Porbanderwalla v Daybridge. She is therefore equipped to deal with arguments in respect of issues arising from the late service of documents or budgets.
Papers practice
She is happy to provide pre-action advice on the strength of individual cases, in conference and in writing, in addition to providing pleadings on behalf of insurer clients. All paperwork is carried out promptly.
Credit-hire fraud
Anna is regularly instructed in relation to claims involving credit hire, especially on behalf of the defence, in cases of all values from the small claims track to the multi-track. She is au fait with the plethora of arguments and cases that have been determined by the Court of Appeal and House of Lords in respect of credit hire agreements, including those made in respect of the Cancellation of Contracts Made in a Consumer’s Home or Place of Work Etc Regulations 2008, and the cases of W v Veolia, Pattni v First Leicester Buses Limited and Bent v Highways and Utilities.
Anna has cross-examined claimants about their claim for collection and delivery of a vehicle and making subsequent submissions that the credit hire contract is unenforceable in its entirety. She has also dealt with cases in which the vehicle is used for both business and social, domestic and pleasure purposes and is familiar with the case law and arguments which can be advanced in such cases. She regularly uses the arguments relating to basic hire rates.
Public Access
Anna may accept Public Access work, where she can be instructed directly by a member of the public rather than a solicitor.
Contact Anna’s clerks
Francine Kirk on 0113 202 8605
Anna Wilkinson has a mixed practice of claimant and defendant personal injury (PI) work, including claims funded by a CFA. This includes road traffic accidents, employers’ liability cases, and slip-and-trip matters. She has experience of noise-induced hearing loss and clinical negligence, and is pleased to settle or advise on pleadings.
In addition to personal injury work, Anna has experience of debt-recovery and enforcement proceedings, including applications for charging orders, orders for sale and possession hearings.
She also has a busy papers practice, advising on liability, tactics and procedural matters. She is happy to be consulted by email, telephone, video conference and on client premises.
Public Access
Anna may accept Public Access work, where she can be instructed directly by a member of the public rather than a solicitor.
Contact Anna’s clerks
Francine Kirk on 0113 202 8605
Ranked: for Regulatory, Health and Safety and Licensing – The Legal 500 (2020)
Anna Wilkinson is a B-List Regulatory Advocate and has an established practice in a variety of regulatory and disciplinary work.
‘ An experienced health and safety prosecutor. ’ Legal 500 – (2020)
” Her advice is always crystal clear” – The Legal 500 2019
“She is very good at putting witnesses at ease”. – The Legal 500 (2017)
Anna has been instructed to appear in the First Tier Tribunal (Health, Education and Social Care Chamber) by both care home owners and the Care Quality Commission, and to appear at the First Tier (Mental Health) Tribunal on behalf of patients seeking discharge. She has also conducted cases in both the First Tier Tax tribunal and the First Tier Tribunal (general regulatory chamber).
Anna has undertaken numerous cases on behalf of both CQC and care home owners. Anna has been instrumental in defending Notices of Proposal and Notices of Decisions at tribunal hearings. Anna is familiar with appeals regarding notices of cancelation of registration and is experienced in dealing with the issues which arise in such cases, including the cross examination of expert witnesses in areas such as occupational therapy and medicine management. Anna is also familiar with the principals of the CQC policy “registering the right support” and has successfully dealt with cases involving increases of service users.
Anna is always happy to advise providers and Managers on Notices of Proposal, Decision, Fit & Proper Persons, Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. She has a thorough understanding and knowledge of the Health and Social Care Act and Regulations and their application.
Anna also receives instructions in proceedings brought by the Health & Safety Executive and the Environment Agency which are conducted in both the Magistrates’ and Crown Courts.
Anna also acts in cases prosecuted by local authorities and fire and rescue authorities and Anna has been instructed by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in relation to frauds by company directors and offences concerning individual voluntary arrangements (IVAs). She regularly acts on behalf of the DWP to prosecute benefit-fraud offences. Anna also appears on behalf of the Child Support Agency and has defended in school truancy, food safety & hygiene, and licensing matters.
Anna has undertaken training provided by England Netball in order that she can assist with and adjudicate upon disciplinary complaints involving registered players or leagues.
Public Access
Anna may accept Public Access work, where she can be instructed directly by a member of the public rather than a solicitor.
Contact Anna’s clerk
Anna Wilkinson acts for the prosecution or defence in all areas, from the Youth Court to the Court of Appeal. She can be relied upon to put witnesses and clients at ease and to deal with them in a sensitive, approachable and matter-of-fact way.
Recent cases
These have included drugs offences, violence, affrays, sexual offences and dishonesty, often involving multiple defendants. She was instructed by RASSO as Disclosure Junior to Mark McKone in a trial involving multiple complainants of rapes and other serious sexual offences. She has defended in school truancy, food safety & hygiene and taxi-licensing matters.
Fraud
Anna regularly acts on behalf of CPS Fraud Group, prosecuting income-tax and VAT frauds, and is accustomed to cases involving confiscation proceedings. She has also been instructed by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in relation to frauds by company directors and offences concerning individual voluntary arrangements (IVAs). She regularly acts on behalf of the DWP to prosecute benefit fraud offences, and appears on behalf of the Child Support Agency.
Environment
Anna spent 3 months working in-house at the Environment Agency Prosecution, reviewing files, assessing evidence and advising upon whether to prosecute individuals and companies for environmental offences. She was also required to prosecute cases on behalf of the Environment Agency in both the Magistrates’ and Crown Courts.
Driving offences
Anna has represented defendants accused of a variety of driving offences, including those involving fatalities.
Parole boards
Anna is regularly instructed to represent prisoners convicted of murder, rape and other serious offences at parole-board hearings across the country.
Public Access
Anna may accept Public Access work, where she can be instructed directly by a member of the public rather than a solicitor.
Contact Anna’s clerks
Andrew Thornton on 0113 213 5202
Rebecca Wilson on 0113 213 5203
Hannah Dempsey on 0113 213 5211
