The Edinburgh team will be led by head of office Val Roberts, one of Scotland’s best-known personal injury experts with significant experience in high-value, complex claims including fatal accidents and catastrophic injuries.

Ms Roberts will also lead the new eye injury negligence team, one of the UK’s only specialist teams in a rapidly growing area of litigation.

In 2018, Ms Roberts herself underwent lens-exchange surgery with a large high street optical chain. Her poor outcome and subsequent visual problems led to an interest in the elective refractive surgery industry.

She discovered that many people deeply regretted surgery, having been left to struggle with serious problems impacting their work, relationships and mental health.

As a result, she now represents many clients whose lives have been blighted by laser eye surgery or lens-replacement surgery.

Ms Roberts said: “My clients appreciate the fact I can understand much of what they are going through as a result of my own experience and are reassured by the knowledge I have amassed and my passion to fight for them.”

She has been representing victims of accidents, industrial disease and clinical negligence since 1993, and has acted in many serious off-shore cases.

She has worked at a number of well-known firms and has experience in foreign jurisdictions with settlements of accident claims involving Europe and the USA.

Ms Roberts has appeared in most sheriff courts in Scotland and has an extensive Court of Session practice.

She said: “I’m delighted to be joining Friends Legal at such an exciting time. It’s a relatively new law firm that does things differently, treats staff well and is focussed on great client outcomes.”

Managing partner Tony O’Malley added: “I’m delighted Val and her team have joined Friends Legal.

“She has tremendous technical knowledge, connects with clients and fits in perfectly with our ethos to make the law more accessible and affordable.

“The firm is already very strong in the motor market, but Val’s eye-injury expertise and contacts will also allow us to establish a strong reputation in a niche market relatively quickly.”