A specialist insurance, personal injury and health lawyer with 30 years’ experience.
Cordelia advises on all aspects of liability for injury and ill health, providing both litigation and strategic advice. She represents Insurers on personal injury and property damage claims and advises on coverage.
Cordelia provides advice on a wide range of commercial issues connected with the management of workforce injury and health, often bridging the gap between compliance, human resources and claims. She works with employers on health and safety strategy, undertakes audits of health and safety documentation, drafts and advises on risk assessments, and assists with the management of long-term sick absence and the defence of litigated claims.
Implementing a highly focused forensic approach to case management, she specialises in the prevention and detection of medical and financial fraud.
Financial Services: Cordelia has a substantial practice advising Insurers and Friendly Societies on income protection underwriting, claims management systems, and coverage.
Cordelia is a part-time Tribunal Judge of the Social Entitlement Chamber.
Expertise
Contentious matters
- Personal injury and property damage litigation
- Injury claims pursued through the Employment Tribunal
- Employer liability, public liability, occupier liability
- Occupational disease
- Stress and bullying
- Sexual abuse and psychiatric loss
- Sports injuries and catastrophic injuries
- Marine and aviation accidents (including international jurisdiction issues)
- Coroner’s Inquests
- Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigations
Financial Services: Income Protection Policies
- Drafting and advising on coverage, underwriting, claims management processes, FOS and Debt
- Coverage and claims advice on health policies
Employers, Companies, Manufacturers, Schools
- Advising on full range of pandemic issues
- Drafting and reviewing health and safety policies and risk assessments
- Strategic advice to employers on the management of workforce sick absences and long-term sick leave issues
- Advising on Group Income Protection claims (GIP) and Permanent Health Insurance policies (PHI)
Experience
Contentious matters
- Advised a wide variety of businesses on Covid claims relating to return-to-work policies, masks and vaccination.
- Advised high-net-worth private clients on the management of workplace health & safety and defence of injury claims from household staff.
- Advised on the successful resolution of claims for psychiatric loss pursued through the Employment Tribunal, bringing together the employer, D&O insurers and liability insurers.
- Successfully advised and defended Insurers on complaints referred to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).
- Successfully defended port authorities, harbours and marinas on High Court and County Court property and injury claims.
- Successfully pursued recovery actions on behalf of Insurers.
- Advised on the successful resolution of claims for a breast implant manufacturer on product and injury claims.
- Successfully represented an international manufacturer of white goods on fire damage & complex injury claims.
- Successfully defended German brewer on glass injuries and claims.
- Advised an industrial steel manufacturer on the successful management of multiple workforce hand/arm vibration claims.
- Advised numerous local authorities for over 20 years on liability issues, including property damage, highways, injury, occupational disease, abuse, bullying and education claims.
Financial Services: Income Protection Policies
- Drafting, reviewing and updating terms and conditions
- Reviewing and advising on coverage and underwriting
- Reviewing claims management processes and re-designing new work flows
- Drafting claims precedents and processes.
- Implementing systems to manage medical and financial fraud
- Advising, managing and drafting FOS complaint responses;
- Pursuing clawback Intermediary debt
Employers, Companies, Manufacturers, Schools
- Advising employers and SMEs on pandemic issues including: work-from-home and return-to-work policies, PPE, re-opening infrastructure and regulatory requirements, risk assessments
- Advised an international airline on Covid policy and drafting in-flight Covid risk assessments
- Advising a multinational energy supplier on all aspects of health and safety relating to community programs and employee social events
- Advised a new franchise gym venture on health and safety policies and risk assessments in relation to 24/7 gym facilities
- Drafting health and safety policies and risk assessments for school trusts and academies
- Advising school trusts and academies on regulatory obligations relating to the reporting of injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences, liaison with the Health and Safety Executive and investigation following accidents
- Advising an international embassy on UK health and safety requirements including policies and risk assessments
- Advising an international football player and club on management of health and injury issues connected with employment
- Advising an insurer on medical issues relating to the management of claims from international football, rugby and cricket players
- Advising a fire service on management of pension enhancements for early retirement due to injury
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Recognition
Recognised by The Legal 500 2022 for Personal Injury: Defendant
“I have the pleasure of working closely with Cordelia Rushby, who is the widely recommended and preferred legal counsel of insurance carriers due to her impeccable tailored approach to each matter. She is dedicated to providing detailed and timely analyses in a clear and concise manner. She stands out with her unique ability to engage with our clients from the outset, build trust and rapport which are paramount for the favourable completion of claims. I can wholeheartedly recommend Cordelia to anyone who requires expert legal assistance in the personal injury field.” The Legal 500 2022
Recognised by The Legal 500 2021 for Personal Injury: Defendant
“Cordelia Rushby is completely on top of her game.” The Legal 500 2021
Recognised by the Legal 500 2020 for Personal Injury: Defendant
“Cordelia Rushby is always quick to respond, technically very competent and outstanding in face-to-face mediation.” The Legal 500 2020
Recognised by the Legal 500 2018 for Personal Injury: Defendant
“Gets to the bottom of a problem suggesting a cure in a pragmatic manner” The Legal 500 2018
Recognised by Best Lawyers (UK) in the practice area of Personal Injury Litigation (2009 – 2023)
Cordelia Rushby is recognised by the Legal 500 2017. “Highly professional”
Noted by the Legal 500 2016 as a key figure in Personal Injury work
“Confident, knowledgeable and understanding, she is adept at a wide range of matters but her handling of catastrophic injury claims stands out” Chambers UK
Market observers laud Cordelia Rushby for having a “good, commercial sense of a claim’s value” coupled with a “great strategic mentality” Chambers UK
Career
Cordelia qualified as a solicitor in 1991. Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2012, she worked at the following firms:
- Kennedys- Partner
- Prettys- Partner
- Eversheds- Assistant Solicitor