Clinical Negligence
Independent Reviews
Chambers & Partners |
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Chambers & Partners 2006
This group "puts a lot of time and effort into preparing their
cases", say barristers. Cases of utmost severity are of particular
interest to the team, such as brain damage sustained at birth and
head and spinal injury matters. However, the group has a broad remit
and can handle a range of claims.
Department head Richard Vallance was endorsed by peers for his
conscientious approach to cases. Stephanie Code is growing in seniority
at the firm, and market sources flagged her as a "true specialist
in the clinical negligence field".
Chambers Directory 2005
The Firm: Interviewees especially recommended the lawyers here for
their skill in handling both the needs of clients and their families.
Clinical negligence is the focus of the London operation, although
the team also takes on some top-end personal injury work. There are
seven key individuals in the department, including two partners in
London and two solicitors in the firm's Guildford office. A broad
range of claims is undertaken with an emphasis on those of the utmost
severity, including brain damage at birth, head and spinal injuries.
Other examples include claims relating to surgical procedures and
misdiagnoses, and the team has also seen an increase in the number
of inquest and fatal accident claims.
The Lawyers: Experienced department head Richard Vallance is "just
a very talented first-rate clinical negligence lawyer and probably
one of the best litigators around." He recently achieved an award
of £825,000 through mediation for a client whose leg had been
amputated following deep vein thrombosis, and succeeded in a payment
of £1.25 million in a pre-trial settlement meeting for a client
who developed paraplegia after a cyst was removed near to her spine.
The team also includes one lawyer who acts solely on behalf of the
vCJD Trustees.
(Richard Vallance ranked in 1st tier of three as leading individual)
Chambers & Partners 2003/4
Department head Richard Vallance was singled out for greatest praise
as the group's most senior member and "a superb tactician."
He has continued to work tirelessly for the trustees of variant CJD
cases. Also, in the case of R v S, he successfully recovered £1.5
million for his client for a failure to diagnose a terminal neurological
disease before the birth of a sibling with the same condition.
Chambers & Partners 2002
The team is commended for its "thorough awareness of medical
issues." Its typical workload involves birth injury cases, neurological
and orthopaedic claims. Of late, it has been acting on behalf of trustees
responsible for administering the government compensation fund for
CJD victims. The team is headed up by the "superb" Richard
Vallance. He is described by contemporaries as "utterly reliable,
sensible and realistic" and is currently working as part of a
government committee reviewing clinical negligence claims in the UK.
The team has this year obtained £1.35 million on behalf of a
boy misdiagnosed by a hospital for a neurological disease.
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