James Walsh
Partner and head of industrial disease
I am a partner and the head of the asbestos and industrial disease team at GA.
My peers regard me as one of the South West’s leading industrial disease litigators with more than 30 years of experience. My special focus is on helping families recover damages for high-value asbestos claims.
I am recognised on a national platform for my work and experience in dealing with asbestos disease claims, in particular those related to mesothelioma victims who have passed away. I act primarily for individuals and families who have suffered from pleural thickening (pleural fibrosis), asbestosis (pulmonary fibrosis), asbestos-related lung cancer or mesothelioma. I also deal with provisional damages cases where a longstanding asbestos sufferer has experienced a deterioration in their disease. I have also recovered compensation for family members who did not work with asbestos, but have contracted an asbestos disease on a secondary basis through close contact with or from the clothing of relatives who did have exposure during their own work.
As I am based in Plymouth (also where I grew up), the majority of my clients were exposed to asbestos at Devonport Dockyard or were employed by the Ministry of Defence (MOD). As I am local, I have built up close relations with the MOD insurers over the last 30 years, and this helps my clients get prompt and proper levels of compensation, which they may not obtain from a non-specialist asbestos lawyer or someone who does not practice in Plymouth.
I also have years of experience in industrial deafness litigation, recovering damages for hearing loss and tinnitus. I specialise personally in acting for military servicemen who have suffered military noise induced hearing loss (MNIHL).
In addition, I have acted for clients in public and employer (workplace) liability cases where serious injury has been sustained. On occasions, these injuries have been life-changing, where people are unable to work or have to change their job; require considerable care and assistance; need adaptations to their home (such as stair lifts or walk-in showers); or require funding for private medical treatment.
On a national basis, I am an accredited Occupational Disease and Asbestos Disease specialist with the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL). I was the second individual to be nationally appointed. Currently, I am one of only two solicitors with this accreditation West of Bristol, covering the Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset counties – APIL – Accredited Asbestos & Mesothelioma Lawyers. Due to my extensive experience, I have been named as a national assessor to support the APIL asbestos accreditation scheme. I have also been awarded the acclaimed Fellow status by APIL.
I enjoy supporting the local Plymouth business community and supporting a number of local charities. I have been the Honorary Treasurer for Plymouth Law Society since 2013, and in 2020, I was elected as President. In 2021, I was awarded a second consecutive term as President of Plymouth Law Society, which is unprecedented since 1933.
I was previously highlighted by The Legal 500 as “A local industrial disease specialist, who in that line of work locally is peerless.”
Outside of work, I enjoy coastal and Dartmoor treks with my family. I love most types of sport and am an avid season ticket holder at Plymouth Argyle. I am also a single-figure handicap golfer. Recently I have become a huge fan of padel.
Watch my video below where I discuss asbestos claims, including the impact of asbestos exposure, the claims process, and how GA Solicitors supports clients seeking compensation and justice.
- I cannot praise Mr Walsh enough for the time and patience he gave to the claim. The claim was a difficult one owing to the company I worked for when I came into contact with asbestos, no longer in existence. I cannot praise James Walsh enough for what he has done for me and ended up getting a fair settlement for me.
I would like to suggest that if anyone needs to put in a claim for asbestos-related disease, do not hesitate to contact James Walsh, I would give him a 5 star rating out of 5.
- Excellent communication skills. Patient and empathetic when asking for or sharing sensitive information. Always returned calls promptly. Was encouraging during the almost three year battle for justice for my husband.
- James was very empathetic and treated my then ill husband with nothing but kindness and consideration. He helped us through the enormous amount of forms that needed to be filled in and through his efforts we were able to obtain compensation.
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James made a traumatic time and events as easy as they could be, thank you
- James and his team were excellent in every aspect! James was supportive of my family member who initially sought out support for a negligence claim, even visiting him in the hospital to help support the case. After my family member passed, he was so supportive in helping me navigate the next steps to help settle the ongoing case for my relative.
- I would be very happy in recommending GA Solicitors should anyone inquire as the hard work and dedication for our case was apparent and nothing was too much trouble, always keeping us updated as the case progressed.
- Efficient, caring and very knowledgeable. James Walsh acted on behalf of our family on an asbestosis compensation claim. Every stage was fully explained and James was supportive and understanding. It was a lengthy process but we felt confident in all the advice he given and our claim was recently settled out of court thanks to the negotiations made by James. Would definitely recommend."
- James Walsh did a great job at managing my grandad’s asbestos claim. He deals with claims with care and compassion. Thanks James.
- James has been a first class advocate for my late father who passed away in December 2022 have suffered the consequences of occupational exposure to asbestos whilst working as a shipwright at Portsmouth and Devonport dockyards in the 1950s and 60s. My father had experienced the impact of asbestos related disease for many years on his quality of life and had secured an earlier interim compensatory payment. However, we all knew that asbestosis was a foreseeable outcome of his passing and this was subsequently confirmed at his post- mortem.
James was able to take on the case which was managed remotely given my location in Norwich and directed the process of securing the supplementary evidence to establish negligence by the MOD, researching previous case papers and importantly securing the expert medical and legal evidence needed to establish the extent of the breach and its consequences.
Despite the dilatory behaviours of the MOD case handlers resulting in various extensions having to be agreed to extend the 3 year claim period, James managed the situation with tenacity whilst ensuring there was a contingency plan to maintain control of the claim. When eventually the MOD claim handlers made an offer, our negotiation position was agreed and James was able to secure a very satisfactory financial outcome within 24 hours.
Given my experience on this challenging claim, managed and delivered remotely by James, I would have no hesitation in recommending him to undertake similar personal injury cases on work related matters.
