South West law firm expands personal injury team with new appointment

Leading law firm Coodes has appointed a new lawyer to further strengthen its specialist personal injury team supporting a growing number of clients in the South West.

Demelza Pallant (pictured), who specialises in litigation involving personal injuries, has joined the six-strong team in Cornwall and Devon as an associate solicitor with the firm, after recently relocating from Gloucestershire.

With more than 20 years of experience as a lawyer, Demelza brings with her significant expertise on a wide range of complex personal injury matters including traffic accidents, accidents at work, employer liability, and public liability claims, as well as serious slips, trips, and falls and spinal and brain injuries.

Demelza, who is originally from Cornwall and now lives near Bude, is a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) and is recognised as a senior litigator with the organisation.

She has extensive experience working at trial with barristers, medical experts and defendants’ representatives on behalf of her clients.

Demelza studied law at the University of Plymouth before undertaking her Legal Practitioner’s Course (LPC) at the University of the West of England in Bristol. She qualified as a solicitor while training in Evesham prior to leading the personal injury department of a law firm in Stroud for nine years.

Commenting on her appointment with Coodes, Demelza said: “Making a real difference to people’s lives is the reason I wanted to become a lawyer in the first place and helping to support my clients, in a personal way, through a very difficult time for them and their families is why I love this job. Giving people, who have suffered terrible injuries, a sense of justice, and a purpose and helping them as they recover from what can often be life-changing events is incredibly rewarding and I’m so pleased to be joining the excellent team at Coodes to do this.

“What struck me most about joining the team at Coodes is just how much encouragement, support and enthusiasm they give – it’s like an extended family and because this area of law is very specialist, there’s a real understanding and appreciation of the impact serious injuries have on people.”

Coodes’ Lexel and APIL accredited personal injury team works with clients across the South West to help to secure early rehabilitation, medical treatment, and compensation to rebuild their lives.

The team has an excellent reputation for handling difficult and high-value claims and is ranked highly in both the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners legal directories for their services.

Rachel Pearce, head of the personal injury and clinical negligence department at Coodes, added: “We are delighted to welcome Demelza to Coodes – her specialist knowledge and expertise will provide a further boost to the incredibly committed, experienced and empathetic team of professionals who work tirelessly to provide the highest levels of support for our clients.”

Coodes’ personal injury team also supports the wider community by running specialist free-of-charge drop-in clinics with the Legal Advice Centre at the Dracaena Centre, a community hub based in Falmouth. The only clinic of its kind in Cornwall, the team offers hours of free legal advice and support to local people on all personal injury matters.

They also run several free clinics across Cornwall and Devon in locations with poor transport links to give clients easy access to legal services. The team also runs a successful schools engagement programme locally.

Outside of work, Demelza enjoys walks along Cornwall’s rugged coastline and beaches as well as exploring the countryside. She is also a keen salsa dancer, having previously danced all over the UK and hopes to begin lessons again soon.