The countdown to the 2026 Personal Injury Awards is on

Abigail Lock is Chief Executive of Back Up, the national charity supporting people affected by spinal cord injury to get the most out of life. Back Up works alongside people from the point of injury and throughout their lives, offering practical, emotional and peer-led support through mentoring, courses, wheelchair skills training and services for families, children and young people. Abigail joined Back Up in January 2020, bringing broad experience from the private, public and third sectors, including Scope and the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Her own lived experience as a child carer gives her a deep appreciation of the transformative impact of community, peer support and opportunity. As CEO, she leads the organisation’s strategy and people, working with the Board, staff, volunteers and partners to ensure Back Up continues to thrive and reach more people. Outside work, Abigail loves open water swimming and is an avid traveller who is always up for an adventure.

Dr Aly Norman Professor of Psychology and Associate Head of School at the University of Plymouth. Aly has worked for nearly 20 years researching the impact of acquired brain injury on families and survivors and also works clinically with her own private practice in the southwest.

Aly is the Vice Chair of the United Kingdom Acquired Brain Injury Forum, a member of the British Association of Brain Injury Case Managers (Research sub-group), Chair of Headway Somerset, and Co-Chair of Anchor Point, a special interest group addressing the needs of families affected by brain injury.

Carole Chantler is Chair of the Institute of Registered Case Managers. Carole’s professional background is nursing, critical care. She commenced her case management career in Canada working in travel, private health and government health care case management.

In the late 90s she set up a case management company in the UK dealing with personal injury and has worked in this arena ever since.

She was a founding member of CMSUK and a past chair. She obtained her Masters in Case Management in 2011

Since 2004 Carole has worked for both Claimant and Defendant law firms advising on rehabilitation and health. She was a director of DWF for 5 years working closely with all parties involved in rehabilitation and progression of claims. She chaired the Cat Committee on the revision of the 2015 Rehabilitation Code.

Currently she has her own company where she works with all parties, advising on case management, rehabilitation and navigating statutory provision for Claimants when necessary.

Carole has been part of the project that led to the formation of IRCM since its inception. She has been a key member of the team taking on various roles throughout its development and became chair in July 2023. She is a Registered Case Manager herself.

David Bailey-Vella is the Chair of the Association of Costs Lawyers (ACL), elected to lead the profession in April 2025. As a Head of Costs and Senior Costs Lawyer with extensive experience in high-value litigation, David is recognised for his strategic insight, technical precision, and commitment to advancing the costs law profession across England and Wales.

In his role as Chair, David represents the ACL at the highest levels of legal policy and professional development. He leads the organisation’s efforts to promote excellence in costs practice, advocate for reform, and support members through a rapidly evolving legal landscape. His tenure is marked by a focus on transparency, collaboration, and the integration of costs expertise into broader litigation strategy.

David’s professional background spans multi-track case budgeting, retainer drafting, and the management of complex costs disputes. He has advised on cost strategy in cases involving commercial litigation, clinical negligence, and group actions, and is known for his ability to translate technical rules into clear, actionable guidance for clients and colleagues alike.

As Legal Director, David oversees the development of internal protocols, and strategic risk management. He plays a key role in mentoring junior lawyers, shaping firm-wide policy, and ensuring that costs law remains central to effective litigation planning.

David is also a regular contributor to professional training and thought leadership within the ACL community and legal publications. His work reflects a deep belief in the value of education, clarity, and shared professional growth.

With a leadership style grounded in empathy and precision, David continues to shape the future of costs law—championing its role in access to justice, financial accountability, and the integrity of the legal process.

Guy Forster is president of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL). He is a medical negligence specialist solicitor and partner at Fieldfisher in London. He has more than 20 years’ experience and specialises in catastrophic and fatal medical injury cases involving adults and children, including maternity/birth injuries and baby loss, brain and spinal injury and amputations. He also represents families at inquests.

 He is a fierce advocate for the rights of patients who have been harmed by the NHS. In 2022 he was the only solicitor in the UK to give evidence to the House of Commons inquiry into NHS litigation. He also provided evidence to Baroness Amos’ review of maternity and neonatal care on APIL’s behalf. He has been an APIL executive committee member for five years, including vice president since 2024. He became president in May 2026.

He is a member of the Law Society’s clinical negligence panel, on the specialist panel for Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA) and is a trustee of the national charity Baby Lifeline, which supports frontline NHS staff to deliver safer care. Guy regularly gives lectures to and engages with health professionals, policy makers, campaigners and other lawyers on patient safety issues. He is ranked as a leading lawyer by Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners. Guy lives in Cambridge.

Louise Chance, the new Chair of the British Association of Brain Injury and Complex Case Managers (BABICM) from June 2025, has devoted her 35+ year career to the field of brain injury and neurorehabilitation.  She is passionate about the need for innovative, person-centred rehabilitation that meets the needs of people living with life changing injuries and conditions and is inspired by individuals and services driving development in this field. 

With a background in Occupational Therapy (OT), including senior and then lead OT roles at the Priory, Highbank in the 1990s and responsibility for the transitional living service providing inpatient and outreach rehabilitation, Louise launched her case management business, A Chance for Life Ltd, in 2002. Under her leadership, the business has grown into a highly respected provider of Case Management, Rehabilitation and Support services, serving the North of England and Scotland. 

Louise’s passion for collaboration, combined with a feeling of responsibility to use her skills and resources to help improve the lives of people affected by serious injury has led her to be an active participant in the brain injury community. She is a member of Headway North Cumbria, served on the Northern Acquired Brain Injury Forum committee for many years and, prior to taking on the role of Chair, served on the BABICM Council from 2018 to 2024. 

Lucy is the CEO of Day One Trauma Support, a national charity helping anyone affected by major physical trauma rebuild their life. From day one, for as long as it takes. The cause is very close to Lucy’s heart, having started her career as a nurse. Her broad clinical, managerial and leadership experience across the NHS, commercial and charitable sectors, has given her a strong reputation for leading change, transformation, and growth. In 2017 Lucy was awarded an Honorary degree of Doctor of Medicine, MD (Hon) by the University of Sheffield, in recognition of her influence and work in Palliative and End of Life Care services across the region. Lucy is also Vice Chair of the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Board.

Luke was appointed chief executive of Headway UK in December 2022 having worked in various roles throughout the charity for the past 17 years, including deputy chief executive. Throughout his career at Headway, Luke has championed collaboration, working closely with the personal injury sector to ensure brain injury survivors and families have independent advice and access to specialist legal representation.

Full bio coming soon

Paul White is a Chartered Legal Executive whose career in personal injury lawyer began in the late 1980’s and now spans parts of five decades, representing seriously injured clients in complex and high‑value litigation.

A Director of the Motor Accidents Solicitors’ Society (MASS) and Regional Coordinator for the South West, he is an accredited Fatal Accidents Specialist and Assessor with APIL, recognised for his expertise in inquests, complex road traffic collisions, and fatal accident claims, and between 2014 and 2019 he also held the CITB Site Safety Plus Award for Site Management Safety Training in the construction and civil engineering industries.

Paul has acted in landmark and multi‑million‑pound cases involving public utilities, construction operators, and secondary victims suffering psychiatric trauma. He contributes regularly to sector thought leadership, including case law updates for MASS. Known for his calm, analytical approach, Paul is committed to ensuring injured people and bereaved families receive clarity, dignity, and robust representation. He serves as Chairman of the Hospital Liaison Committee for Jehovah’s Witnesses across Plymouth and Cornwall offering support to patients and healthcare professionals in seeking alternatives to blood component transfusion.

Ross Moorlock is Chief executive officer of Brake, the road safety charity. He became CEO in April 2023, having joined the organisation in 2017 and held key leadership roles including Chief Operating Officer.  He brings a strong commercial foundation to the charity from a successful career in a national accountancy firm.

As CEO, Ross has overseen a period of strategic development. Central to this has been the scaling of Brake’s National Road Victim Service, which provides specialist support to more than 2,000 families each year who have been bereaved or seriously injured in road crashes.

Under Ross’s leadership, Brake also delivers high‑impact campaigning, policy advocacy and education programmes aimed at preventing crashes and reducing harm when they occur, all with the aim of creating a world with zero road deaths and serious injuries.

Outside work, Ross lives in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. He is a husband, dad to two young children, and a passionate cyclist and runner, bringing the same energy and commitment to his personal life as he does to leading change in road safety and road victim support.

Full bio to come