Barrister, Deka Chambers, London
Year of call: 1996
Laura has over 20 years' experience as a civil practitioner, specialising in personal injury and clinical negligence work. Laura is also an accredited mediator and heads up the Mediation Team at Deka Chambers.
Solicitors value her attention to detail; excellent grasp of the law; and her well-honed client care skills. She combines a sympathetic approach with the ability to give clear and commercial advice.
Laura is a tough negotiator and a highly experienced advocate. In the clinical negligence field, her practice is varied, encompassing claims ranging from those involving catastrophic injury and informed consent to negligent cosmetic treatment and surgical scarring.
Recent cases have involved:
- Negligent vaginal mesh surgery, including negligent insertion of TVT-O and failure properly to consent;
- Traumatic birth claims which have led to death or significant injury of child and associated with maternal claims for psychiatric injury, whether as primary or secondary victim;
- Failure by consultant to diagnose and treat ovarian cancer leading to premature death;
- Failure to treat leg ulcers in elderly diabetic patient, leading to traumatic amputation.
In the personal injury field, a significant part of Laura's practice is made up of employer's liability and occupational disease claims, including accidents in the workplace; asbestos-related diseases; and work-related upper limb disorders.
Laura has a particular interest in the interface between personal injury and employment law, including claims involving bullying and harassment and long-term sickness and disability. She has considerable expertise in high-value psychiatric injury claims.
Recent cases, all of which have settled for substantial figures, have involved:
- Repetitive strain injury and psychiatric harm caused to HR manager by overwork.
- Bullying and harassment of long serving police officer leading to retirement from the force.
- Subtle brain injury and disabling agoraphobia after catastrophic car crash in which 3 passengers were killed.
- CRPS type 1 following low impact injury but leading to medical retirement of 43 year old client.
- Rape of a teenager by fellow pupil in special needs boarding school.
Laura has been a contributing author to various APIL publications including the Guides to: Occupational Disease; Evidence in Personal Injury Claims; and RTA Liability.
Laura gives regular seminars and lectures, most recently on Mediation & ADR, about which she is passionate; limitation issues in long tail disease claims; and on fundamental dishonesty. Laura used to enjoy good food, beautiful beaches and yoga. These days, she spends most of her free time running around after her son.