Expertise
Michael provides expert witness services at Gateley Smithers Purslow. He is an experienced Chartered Building Surveyor and RICS Registered Valuer with particular expertise in the area of accommodation need, in personal injury and medical negligence cases.
With more than 30 years’ experience as a surveyor and commercial and residential valuer, Michael is experienced in:
- the investigation and negotiation of various construction and valuation-related disputes, including accommodation for catastrophically injured people;
- alleged professional negligence;Â and
- the preparation of expert witness reports for litigation.
Michael is regularly instructed on behalf of claimants, defendants and on a single joint expert basis. He has given evidence in the High Court, County Court and provided representation at mediation. Reports have been prepared on cases with claimants in the UK and Europe.
Focussing in the field of accommodation, Michael prepares reports for both claimants and defendants and is recognised as being one of the top experts within the small group of 30 accommodation experts currently operating in the UK.
How do you help clients?
I help clients by:
- visiting claimants’ homes to assess their suitability, or otherwise, for adaptation;
- assessing accommodation need based on medical care, occupational therapy and other expert evidence;
- researching property prices;
- assessing need for adaptations and providing costs;
- assessing increased running and maintenance costs arising from disability;
- preparing accommodation reports for claimants, defendants and on a single joint expert basis; and
- providing an opinion of any betterment in market value of a claimant’s home following adaption works.
Experience
- Investigations and report for alleged loss in value (diminution) due to damage and infestations from adjoining/ adjacent properties (claimant and defendant cases).
- Troubleshooting at practical completion stage of a Design and Build Contract and professional negligence reports for new supermarket for a nationwide retailer, involving non-performance of contractor and designer (claimant).
- Professional negligence report into disputed Title following alleged negligent conveyancing and effects on value (defendant).
- Accommodation report for young boy with a serious head injury following a road traffic accident, with both mobility and cognitive difficulties, requiring a specially built home (defendant).
- Accommodation report for a lady with a spinal cord injury, following a road traffic accident, requiring an alternative home to meet her needs (claimant).