29 Sep 2025
One Year with Speed Medical: An Interview with Darren Pardon
Within his first year as Commercial Director at Speed Medical, Darren’s direction, experience and industry expertise has shaped how we approach opportunities and new challenges within the wider medicolegal market. Darren’s continued focus on client service, industry collaboration, and team development has kickstarted an exciting new chapter for Speed Medical.
In this conversation, Darren shares highlights from his first year with us, key achievements; both personal and professional as well as his goals for what’s to come in his second year.
How have you found the culture at Speed Medical to be throughout the past year?
Upon joining Speed Medical, I was told that I was joining a family and that’s exactly what it feels like.
I cannot believe how quickly the first 12 months of my time at Speed has gone!
What have been the highlights of your first year at Speed Medical?
Getting to know my team, the members of the wider Speed Medical business and handl Group as well as the business partners to whom we provide a valuable service.
I’ve also enjoyed attending various events throughout the year, some of my highlights were our Christmas Client Event, the Spinal Injuries Association (SIA) Cornflower Ball and Gunpowder ball, and many others!
What are the key lessons you have learned or experiences that you have benefited from in your first year?
After spending 10 years at a Claimant Law Firm, I thought I had an in depth understanding of how the market works… I now know how much more goes on behind the scenes, at somewhere like Speed, when it comes to providing all our services to our partners.
The Speed Medical team is made up of over 200 people, all of whom work together to manage everything from IT to expert recruitment, the premises, regulatory compliance, account management and so much more!
How do you believe Speed best serves its clients (and their clients) from what you have experienced this year?
We provide excellent customer service across all our instruction types, but what sets us apart most is our case handled approach to Clinical Negligence and Serious Injury claims.
We assign a dedicated case handler to manage every aspect of the instruction for our business partner. The case handlers are part of the specialist Clinical Negligence or Serious Injuries teams, and they are the single point of contact for our business partner, ensuring a consistent, high-quality service is provided and that the needs of the injured party are always the key priority.
What’s the most fun you’ve had at Speed this year?
Earlier on in the year, I represented Speed on the SIA overseas ride in Italy. To coincide with that, I set the Speed team a physical challenge to visit every major spinal injury centre in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern and Southern Ireland.
I had great fun with the 40 riders in Italy, but also really enjoyed seeing the progress of the incredibly determined teams in Speed – they had a target of covering 2200 km and completely smashed it by covering over 6600!
What are you most proud of achieving in your first year at Speed Medical?
I could say something along the lines of “the delivery of new business and achieving business targets,” but I am most proud that I introduced Speed to the Spinal Injuries Association.
We are now the only medical agency that is a business member of the SIA and have been for almost a year now.
We have regular engagement with the SIA and have recently had a member of their team come in an provide training to our Clinical Negligence and Serious Injury teams so they have a better understanding of life with a spinal cord injury and they can use that knowledge to further enhance the service we provide to some who has a suffered a SCI.
Can you tell us something about yourself that people may not know?
I am a huge fan of the band The Darkness (I have seen them over 20 times) and have two of their used guitar strings – one used by Dan Hawkins and the other used by their flamboyant front man, Justin Hawkins (who I have met a couple of times!)
How has your perspective of the medicolegal market changed/been shaped by your year at Speed?
After a decade in the industry, I thought that I knew it inside and out – I can now see that there are fewer MRO’s that are Medco accredited, there is ongoing consolidation in the personal injury sector (no evidence that it will slow down) and this year saw the first fee increase on Medco reports since Medco came into force in 2015.
What is one thing you would like all clients to know about Speed Medical?
That every single member of the Speed team is passionate about providing the absolute best service possible to our business partners and their clients.
And finally, what are your goals for your second year at Speed Medical?
To further strengthen the relationships that we have with our existing business partners and to build sustainable new partnerships that will help exceed our ambitious growth plans.
Looking to the future of Speed Medical…
One year on, Darren is continuing to inspire both confidence and development within the Speed Medical team and across the relationships he has continued to prosper with our business partners.
Here’s to another year of growth and collaboration!
For more information, please visit www.speedmedical.com, contact our team via email at info@speedmedical.com or call us directly on 0330 094 8749.
