Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘Toxic Town’ turns the spotlight on a landmark case in British history where the claimants alleged that the council of their town, Corby, was responsible for the birth deformities in children. The series traces the origins of the case from the mid-90s when the reclamation of a steel plant in Corby began and threw toxic waste around town. Years later, the women who were infected by the toxins and whose children suffered the consequences of this malpractice decided to take the council to court. Lawyers Des Collins and Dani Holliday become the representatives as they help the residents not only build a case but also win it.
Des Collins Took the Case Due to a Personal Connection with Corby
Des Collins found out about the case of birth deformities in the children of Corby from an article in the Sunday Times in 1999. The lawyer, who hailed from Corby, was caught off guard by the fact that his small, forgettable town was mentioned in a major newspaper and spoke of something that could have serious ramifications for the townsfolk. His intrigue led him to seek out Susan McIntyre, which is when he discovered that several women had come forward since the article was published. They had tried to get lawyers to present their case in court but had been unsuccessful so far, mainly because they were told there was no case to begin with. What perhaps moved McIntyre in Collins’ favor was the fact that he himself hailed from Corby.
Collins’ father had been the headmaster of the secondary school and was a well-known figure in the community. Moreover, his familiarity with the town allowed him the know-how of the town and its policies, but at the same time, he didn’t seem beholden by the red tape that had scared away other lawyers. Above all, McIntyre saw the lawyer as a compassionate and caring person, especially in the way he interacted with her son, Connor. On top of this, he made a no-win, no-fee deal, which showed that he really did care about winning the case and wasn’t just going to extort the money out of the claimants. Once he was put in charge, Collins dove into the research surrounding the case. From reaching out to the journalists who wrote the piece about Corby to bringing in experts to figure out how the toxic waste could have spread and affected the mothers.
As the story picked up, more and more women reached out to him with their stories and the conditions of their kids, and soon, he had more than thirty women on the list. At the same time, he had to maintain his job, so he spent his nights and weekends pouring over the case that would take about eleven years to come to a fitting conclusion. Between this, he was joined by Danielle Holliday, who became an important asset to the team. Together, she and Collins uncovered the details that would eventually play important roles in the trial. They had to make some tough decisions, like removing people like Tracey Taylor from the list of claimants, but at the end of the day, they succeeded in getting justice for the families, along with the settlement of more than 14 million pounds.
Des Collins Continues to Fight for Justice
Des Collins has dedicated his life to fighting for people and getting them justice, and he doesn’t have any intention of slowing down in his late 70s. A resident of Watford, Hertfordshire, he has been practicing law since 1975 for about five decades and has earned a reputation for handling some very high-profile cases through Collins Solicitors, the law firm he founded and currently serves as the senior partner of.
Specializing in civil litigation, the Corby case wasn’t the first time Collins and his team were fighting for the people. He also handled the cases of the victims of the Watford, Southall, and Paddington rail crashes while also representing the victims of the 2005 Buncefield oil terminal explosion in their lawsuit. Recently, he has been at the forefront of the infected blood scandal, in which he has represented the cause of about two thousand victims. He was also involved in another toxic waste case, this time in Motherwell, Scotland
Collins’ work has brought him several accolades over the years. In 2009, he was awarded Outstanding Case of the Year for his work on the Corby case. In 2010, he was named Law Society Gazette Legal Personality of the Year and was also named Claimant Personal Injury Lawyer of the Year. In 2011, he received the Innovation Award and was voted into the list of the Hot 100 Lawyers in 2011 and 2019. Apart from his legal career, Collins has also written articles for several major news outlets, like The Guardian. He lets his professional life take the spotlight and prefers to keep his personal life to himself, enjoying the privacy of his family.
Dani Holliday Continues the Good Fight
Dani Holliday didn’t always think about being a lawyer. In fact, it wasn’t until her youngest started school that she decided to get into it. By then, her husband had already retired from law, and his work was, in part, the reason why she decided to try it for herself. Now, she works as a well-known solicitor, working extensively in civil litigation, which includes but is not limited to personal injury claims, professional negligence, disciplinary proceedings, and group litigation. She is currently a partner at Collins Solicitors and has worked with Des Collins on some of their most groundbreaking cases.
Holliday calls the Corby case one of the highlights of her career, but that’s not the only one she is known for. She was the lead on the Kerrie Gray vs. Thames Trains and Network Rail, worked alongside Collins on the Buncefield litigation, the Motherwell toxic land case, as well as the Infected Blood case, which represents about 1200 victims at the Infected Blood Public Inquiry and more than 500 people in the Contaminated Blood Products Group Litigation Order. Additionally, she also works with and supports several charities, like London Legal Support Trust, by helping them raise money and awareness. As for her personal life, much like Collins, she prefers to keep it to herself.
Read More: Daniel and Connor McIntrye: Where are Susan McIntrye’s Sons Now?
