Areas of Expertise

• Personal Injury

  Personal injury work forms a large part of Kate’s practice. She regularly appears in both the County Court and High Court, at first instance and on appeal, in a wide range of personal injury matters, often involving catastrophic injury or death.

  Kate’s busy court practice is accompanied by an equally busy paperwork practice. She regularly drafts pleadings and schedules, and advises, in complex and high value matters.

  Examples of current/recent work include:

  • Advising and representing the Claimant in a claim for catastrophic injuries following a road traffic collision in which two occupants of the Claimant’s vehicle had been killed. The claim was recently settled for £820,000;
  • Advising two Claimants who had been hit by a vehicle which ploughed into a crowd of people attending a vigil. One Claimant suffered a brain injury and the other serious orthopaedic injuries. Their claims have recently been settled for £1.2m and £500,000 respectively;
  • Advising two Claimants in a fatal accident claim in which their partner/father was killed when he was hit by a car. The matter was recently settled for £200,000;
  • Advising the Claimant in a fatal accident claim in which her husband had fallen from the rear of a lorry in unknown circumstances. The matter was recently settled for £60,000;
  • Advising the Defendant in a fatal accident claim arising from a drowning at a beach;
  • Advising the Defendant in a fatal accident claim arising from a suicide in state custody giving rise to a complex dependency claim.

  Kate has a particular interest in Animals’ Act matters and is ranked by Chambers and Partners as one of only eight specialist juniors nationally (click here for further details).

  Kate also has experience of claims brought to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority and has acted for appellants in the CICA Tribunal in a range of matters including assault in the workplace, serious sexual assault and grievous bodily harm, in claims exceeding £250,000. She is able to advise both on paper and in conference on all issues of appeal including eligibility and quantum.

• Disease

  Kate is a very experienced disease practitioner. With particular expertise in noise induced hearing loss as well as COSHH, WRULD and asbestos litigation, Kate regularly represents both claimants and defendants across a broad range of industrial disease claims.

  Kate is regularly instructed to draft pleadings and advise in cases involving complex issues of breach and medical causation, particularly where there is a conflict in expert evidence. She is often asked to advise in conference with experts in attendance.

  Since her appointment to the Attorney General’s Regional C Panel, Kate has developed a particular interest in cases of military noise induced hearing loss and appears regularly in court and at JSM in cases with a pleaded value in excess of £1million. She has also been instructed by the Ministry of Defence in high profile High Court test litigation in this area.

• Animals & Equine

  Kate has a keen interest in cases involving animals and is ranked by Chambers and Partners as one of only eight specialist juniors in this area.

  Kate is regularly instructed in a broad range of claims involving injuries caused by livestock, equestrian accidents and dog attacks. With a background in sheep and dairy farming, and as a lifelong dog owner and a horse owner of 17 years, Kate is able to provide invaluable insight in Animals’ Act claims and is regularly called upon to represent both Claimants and Defendants in difficult; high value claims.

  Examples of Kate’s current/recent work in this area include:

  • Advising a Claimant who suffered severe and disfiguring facial injuries following a dog attack in a claim worth over £250,000;
  • Drafting the Defence for two Defendants whose dog unexpectedly attacked their friend, causing serious injuries;
  • Advising the Claimant, who suffered catastrophic injuries in a fall from a horse which bolted on a hack, in conference with experts in attendance;
  • Representing a Claimant who suffered significant orthopaedic injuries having been attacked by a ram on a public footpath.

  In a commercial context, Kate has developed a keen interest in cases involving dog breeding and sales. She has represented many clients, including some of the country’s top breeding kennels as well as international clients, in cases relating to pet dogs, breeding dogs, show/field trial winners and champions and personal protection dogs.

  Kate is experienced in claims involving disputes over breeding restrictions, Consumer Rights Act issues and allegations of misrepresentation, as well as property damage claims arising out of injuries caused to dogs, including in competition.

  Kate appeared on behalf of the Claimant/Respondent in Pendragon v Coom [2021] EW Misc 4 (CC), which attracted national media interest.

  Kate also has extensive experience in sale of goods/misrepresentation claims involving the sale of horses, as well as debt claims involving arguments over livery/stud fees. Her own enthusiasm for, and experience in, equestrianism is of great assistance in assessing the merits of claims and allows for effective cross examination of witnesses.

• Motor

  Kate is extremely experienced in road traffic matters. She regularly appears at trials on both liability and quantum and now focuses solely on cases allocated to the multi-track.

  Kate has a particular expertise in road traffic claims where there are allegations of fraud and/or fundamental dishonesty, particularly those involving phantom passengers, low velocity impacts and contrived accidents. She is regularly instructed by Defendants to advise in conference in such cases and provide representation at trial.

  Kate also has extensive experience in claims involving the Motor Insurers Bureau, brought pursuant to both the Untraced and Uninsured Drivers’ Agreements. She is regularly instructed to draft pleadings and advise on tactics and procedure in such cases, both for and against the MIB/Article 75 Insurer. She has written articles and delivered seminars on the subject of MIB claims: To read Kate’s article on ‘Identifying the Correct Defendant in RTA Claims’, click here.

• Inquests

  Kate has experience across a broad range of coronial matters and regularly appears for families, insurers and government departments at pre-inquest review hearings and full inquests.

  Kate has experience in a wide range of coronial matters, such as those arising out of fatal road accidents, asbestos related deaths, possible clinical negligence and workplace accidents, often involving questioning of both lay and expert witnesses. As a member of the Attorney General’s Regional Panel of Counsel, Kate has also acted in a broad range of Article 2 inquests concerning deaths in state custody.

  Examples of notable recent work include:

  • Representing the Ministry of Justice in a two-week jury and Article 2 inquest into the death of a serving prisoner by hanging. The matter attracted regional media attention. To read an example article, please click here;
  • Representing the deceased’s family at a one-week jury inquest into the death of a man who was hit by a car in a repair workshop. The matter attracted local media attention. To read an example article, please click here. The civil claim is ongoing;
  • Representing the Ministry of Justice in an Article 2 inquest into the death of a serving prison who suffered a fatal MI following a failure by prison healthcare to diagnose ischaemic heart disease;
  • Representing the deceased’s family at an inquest into the death of a man from lung cancer following a delay in diagnosis due to the failure of a hospital lung cancer screening programme. The civil claim is ongoing;
  • Representing the employer of a woman who was found hanged at her home. The matter attracted regional media attention. To read an example article, please click here;
  • Drafting statements ahead of an inquest into the deaths of a mother and three children who were murdered by her former partner. The matter attracted national media attention. To read an example article, please click here.

  Kate’s coronial practice encompasses cases in which further proceedings (whether civil and/or criminal) are envisaged as well as those in which matters are unlikely to proceed any further. She welcomes instructions from families and other interested parties to coronial proceedings and is prepared to accept instructions pro bono, or on a conditional fee basis, where appropriate.

• Clinical Negligence

  Kate receives instructions from both Claimants and Defendants and is regularly instructed to draft pleadings and advise in a wide range of clinical negligence matters. She takes a meticulous approach to her cases and is adept at dealing with challenging and technical arguments relating to medical causation.

  Kate has particular experience in a broad range of matters including:

  • Delayed diagnosis
  • Surgical negligence
  • Negligent nursing care
  • Development of pressure sores
  • Claims against GPs
  • Lack of informed consent
  • Pharmacological errors

  She also has a busy coronial practice and is happy to provide representation at inquests which may subsequently lead to civil proceedings.

  Kate entirely recognises the need for sensitive client care and strives to approach her caseload in a client focussed and empathetic manner. Kate is particularly skilled in dealing with vulnerable clients and/or their litigation friend and approaches sensitive issues with kindness and compassion.

  She can be relied upon to give clear, straightforward and tactful advice.

  Examples of recent/current work include:

  • advising the Claimant on liability in conference with experts in a claim for delayed diagnosis of Cauda Equina Syndrome, giving rise to significant and debilitating long-term consequences for the Claimant;
  • advising the Claimant on quantum following a suite of clinical failures which led to the death of her husband following major abdominal surgery;
  • advising the Claimant on liability and quantum following a delay in the diagnosis of bladder cancer;
  • drafting pleadings in a claim for failure to identify and remedy fracture collapse leading to malunion and long-term functional sequelae for the Claimant;
  • advising the Claimant in conference with experts in a claim for mis-prescription of steroids causing temporary vision loss;
  • advising the Defendant in conference with experts in a claim for failure to diagnose a serious knee injury leading to long-term functional sequelae.

About

• Memberships

  • Personal Injuries Bar Association

• Qualifications

  • LLB, Bangor University