Deka Chambers, London
Sarah undertakes high value, complex and sensitive personal injury claims of all kinds, acting both for claimants and for defendants. As well as being lauded by the directories for her courtroom advocacy and legal knowledge, she is well known to leading firms as a skilled negotiator, and is valued by clients for her sensitive handling of difficult cases.
In the last year Sarah has represented claimants in claims in respect of catastrophic injuries arising from accidents at work, leisure accidents, and road traffic accidents, as well as accidents abroad; and has defended similar claims, often involving spinal injuries of the utmost severity and/or serious brain injuries. She has conducted a number of cases raising issues of borderline and fluctuating capacity. She is also experienced in claims of the utmost sensitivity raising allegations of sexual assault.
Sarah specialises in travel law claims, including claims under the Package Travel Regulations 2018, the Athens and Montreal Conventions, and at common law; she also has a particular expertise in all aspects of conflict of law and jurisdiction. Together with other team members Matthew Chapman KC, Jack Harding, Dominique Smith, Thomas Yarrow and Henk Soede, Sarah co-wrote the most recent editions of Saggerson on Travel Law and Litigation, the leading textbook in this field. Sarah also finds the time to update the chapter of the Encyclopaedia of Insurance Law on the Motor Insurers’ Bureau.
Sarah was invited to join the Consultative Group of Experts to the UNWTO Committee for the Development of an International Code for the Protection of Tourists; the Code has now been adopted by the UNWTO and is being implemented internationally. In addition, she is an academic collaborator of the UNWTO Observatory for Latin America and the Carribean. She has also been co-opted to the Admiralty Court Users’ Committee as a representative of the personal injury Bar.
Sarah supports her Inn’s efforts to expand membership of the Bar more equitably, and has acted as a judge in the inter-Inns debating competition at both quarter- and semi-final stages. She is taking her interest in supporting students further with involvement in the Young Citizens mock trial scheme and other educational outreach, including marking the Inner Temple Students Association essay competition and qualifying as an advocacy trainer. She is also a qualified exam invigilator.