Call (0115) 931 51 71 to talk to us about your situation
Barratts Legal
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Facebook
  • Welcome
  • Why Choose Us?
    • Who We Are
    • Our Approach
    • Our Team
    • Case Studies
    • News
    • FAQs
  • Clinical Negligence
    • Clinical Negligence Team
    • Case Studies
      • Birth injuries Case Studies
      • Brain Injury Case Studies
      • Misdiagnosis and Missed Diagnosis Case Studies
      • Surgical and Orthopaedic Errors Case Studies
      • DVT and Vascular Case Studies
    • Related News
    • Related Links
    • Birth Injuries
    • Spinal Injuries
    • Diagnosis Errors
    • Inquests
    • Funding Your Claim
  • Personal Injury
    • Personal Injury Team
    • Case studies
      • Spinal Injuries Case Studies
      • Brain Injury Case Studies
      • Road Traffic Accident Injury Case Studies
      • Workplace Injuries Case Studies
      • Industrial Disease Case Studies
      • Orthopaedic Injuries Case Studies
      • Mental Health Case Studies
    • Related News
    • Related Links
    • Head Injury
    • Subtle Brain Injury
    • Spinal Injuries
    • Inquests
    • Funding Your Claim
  • Criminal Injury Compensation
    • Criminal Injury Compensation Team
    • How we can help
    • Case studies
    • Spinal Injuries
    • Head Injury
    • Subtle Brain Injury
    • Funding
    • Inquests
  • Court of Protection
    • Court of Protection Team
    • The Work of a Deputy
    • Case Studies
    • Funding
  • Fatal Claims & Inquests
    • Inquests Team
    • The Inquest Process
    • Case Studies
      • Inquests Case Studies
      • Fatal Claims Case Studies
    • Funding
  • Contact
  • Menu Menu

Top Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence Lawyers

October 18, 2023/in Clinical Negligence News, Frontpage News, News, Personal Injury News, Uncategorized

Barratts Solicitors are proud to celebrate the success of our Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence teams in the 2023-24 Legal 500 Guide. This independent Guide ranks lawyers, in different areas of law, from all over the world. We are delighted to be top of the rankings again this year for our litigation work for injured clients. This is an accolade we have received since the firm was established over 30 years ago and maintaining the quality of service we provide to our clients is our key priority.

The Legal 500 Guide is based on references from our clients, other lawyers and professionals so it is truly independent, and based on those who know, first hand, the quality of our work and the client led service we provide; only the best firms and lawyers in the UK are ranked. We are one of the few remaining small, niche law firms who support injured clients and we believe this provides a more personal level of service, but don’t just take our word for it. Here is what others had to say to the researchers at Legal 500:

‘They are a really impressive outfit. Barratts are everything a boutique firm should be: a select team of great people who are really dedicated to their cases. I would use the firm myself if I ever needed to (and I don’t say that about many firms!).’

‘Specialise in high value / catastrophic claims. Very experienced in this field and all claims are dealt with exclusively by a partner, which marks them out from other firms. From a client’s perspective, they are approachable, responsive, and totally committed to getting the best result.’

‘Barrett’s (sic) is a true niche firm meaning that they are very good at what they do. They are experts at representing patients and families involved in clinical negligence claims and inquests. They are pragmatic and sensible but fight hard for their clients.’

Our Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence teams are also named individually

Our Head of Personal Injury , ‘Lesley Edwards is a star. She has a lovely manner with clients. She gets excellent results on the trickiest of cases.’Lesley is also named as a Leading Individual by Legal 500

Mike Dodd joined us less than 2 years ago but is already described as another top counsel for claimant work. He is ‘sensible and straightforward. Effective and good at explaining complex issues to clients.’

Our Head of Clinical Negligence, Alison Brooks, is a “highly regarded advocate” and a named Leading Individual.

Alison is joined by fellow clinical negligence experts with decades of expertise, Julie Hardy and Emma Zukowska who both have  ‘great client care and (sic) good at collaborating with the defence team.’

Emma is also named as a Leading Individual and a ‘stand out performer in clin neg. Incredibly thorough and superb with clients.’

Managing partner of the firm, Ross Brain, is described as having a great command and knowledge of substantial claims.

Thanks go to all our hardworking employees, not just the lawyers named in the Guide but our assistants and accounts team who help ensure everything runs smoothly. Thanks also go to Rebecca Tomes, in our Court of Protection department, and her team, who do such a fantastic job supporting our clients who lack capacity to manage their financial affairs, helping them during the compensation claim and after it has settled. Finally, thanks to our clients and professionals, who took the time to speak with Legal 500, and said such lovely things about our very special injury litigation lawyers.

Top Band For Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury

October 7, 2022/in Clinical Negligence News, Frontpage News, Inquest News, News, Personal Injury News

Number 1 in a starLegal 500 is one of the best independent legal guides to help to find specialist solicitors around the world.  Only a small percentage of law firms are recognised for their expertise in legal areas. This is why Barratts are so delighted to be ranked in Band 1 again this year for our personal injury and clinical negligence teams. The ranking this year is especially valued by Barratts because the geographical area is larger and covers all solicitors in the East Midlands who advise in medical negligence and accident litigation claims.

Since Barratts was established over 30 years ago, it has always been ranked top by Legal 500 and Chambers, the other specialist independent legal guide.  Legal 500 is based on interviews with clients, other lawyers and professionals. We have no say in the rankings, which depend on clients who have been helped by Barratts, other law firms including Defendant solicitors, and professionals; they are able to give an honest opinion about the quality of our legal advice and know best why Barratts remains in the top tier for clinical negligence and personal injury.  One comment sums up the unique service that Barratts provide to their injured clients:

‘The small but vastly experienced personal injury and clinical negligence team at Barratts continue to provide an exceptional level of personal service to the claimants they advise. Outcomes in catastrophic cases more than match any of the larger firms in the area and they are very well respected, not just in the Nottingham region but far beyond. The lawyers are attentive to individual clients needs and adapt to suit the person, which makes for a very strong relationship. As a team, they have the same exceptionally high ethical standards, but it their ability to apply the human touch to clients that sets them aside.’

Here are some of the other quotes from Legal 500:

  • ‘They are a niche personal injury and clinical negligence firm. They are all experts in their field. I think that they deal with their own cases (rather than work as a team) so they offer a very personal service.’

  • ‘Barratts’ Partners all have the most extensive experience in personal injury and medical negligence cases. They keep themselves abreast with developments in these areas of the law. The client handling skills are of the highest. They achieve excellent results on behalf of claimants. Barratts are very well known and respected in their (sic) of practice.’
  • ‘Alison Brooks is an excellent lawyer with vast experience in this field, no stone will be left unturned in a case she is instructed in.’

  • ‘Julie Hardy and Emma Zukowska stand out. They are very gifted technical lawyers but approach claims with common sense and always express empathy for the health professionals involved.’

  • ‘Lesley Edwards has been instrumental in making sure my case moves forward quickly but also effectively and in my favour. Her excellent communication and willingness to answer any question, has meant my frustrations have been limited and my confidence in what is happening with the case, is secure.

  • ‘Edward Myers and Hannah Percival were very professional and approachable. Nothing was too much trouble to explain.’
  • ‘This is a good regional team very ably led by David Tomlinson and Alison Brooks which has a wealth of experience and high standards.’

Emma Zukowska was again named as a “Leading Individual” in Legal 500, which is a fantastic achievement and reflects her commitment to injured clients. For many years, Ed Myers has been in the Legal 500 “Hall of Fame” and is again recognised this year. The Hall of Fame is for very senior litigation solicitors and is testament to Ed’s contribution to personal injury clients for almost 40 years.

We must also recognise and thank our support staff at Barratts, who are the core of our law firm, and make it possible for us to offer injured clients the highest, personal level of service.

Click here if you would like to read more about Legal 500 and our entry this year: https://www.legal500.com/firms/235-barratts-solicitors/2510-nottingham-england/#section-111969

Pulmonary Embolism – why you need to act quickly.

January 7, 2022/in Clinical Negligence News, Frontpage News, Inquest News, News

In 2018  Paul* contacted Alison Brooks to investigate a claim following the death of his wife, Mary*, in December 2017. She was only 64 years old and had died because of an undiagnosed Pulmonary Embolism (“PE”). This is when a blood clot develops in a pulmonary artery, often when the clot has started as a DVT in the leg. It is easily treatable because anti coagulants are given which break down the blood clot.

Paul knew about Legal 500, an independent legal guide which recommends lawyers in the UK , who are experts. Paul contacted Barratts Solicitors, because we are ranked in the top tier for clinical negligence claims, and asked Alison to help him investigate the death of his wife. He knew that he needed someone with experience to help, as the GP involved in Mary’s care, had denied that he had done anything wrong.

The Facts

In October 2017, Mary had undergone foot surgery and was recovering from the operation but, on 1st December, she began to feel breathless. Paul called the GP surgery and Mary was seen by a doctor who carried out some tests. Despite noting that PE was a possibility, he decided that Mary probably had bronchitis, a condition she had previously suffered from, and prescribed antibiotics.

Mary continued to feel unwell but believed she would soon feel better with the antibiotics. Tragically, in the early hours of 3rd December, Mary collapsed from a huge Pulmonary Embolism. Paul was trained in First Aid and tried to resuscitate his wife, but it was too late, and nothing could be done to save Mary.

The Claim

Paul wanted to ensure that the GP would not make the same mistake again, but the GP did not accept that his assessment of Mary had been negligent. Alison recognised that Paul was also suffering because of the traumatic circumstances of Mary’s death and might be able to claim compensation for his psychiatric illness. This is called a “secondary victim” award and can be hard to prove in medical cases because of restrictions in the law, which limit who can make a claim.

Paul was also suffering financially as he had his own health problems and relied on Mary to look after him. A claim for the support, that Mary would have provided to Paul, was made, as well as an award for her pain and suffering and funeral costs. When someone dies, the Government also sets a fixed amount for bereavement damages. This was £12,890 under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976 for deaths before 1 May 2020.

The Defence

A claim was issued against the GP who saw Mary on 1st December. We argued that the Defendant:

  • Should have carried our further tests for PE, at home or in hospital – the Wells score was developed by NICE (the National Institute for Clinical Excellence) and any result over 4 means a PE is likely; Mary’s score was 4.5.
  • Failed to properly inform Mary and her husband that Pulmonary Embolism was more likely than a chest infection and was potentially fatal if left untreated.
  • Did not follow up with Mary and falsely reassured her by prescribing antibiotics.

The Defendant argued that he did not refer Mary to hospital because she had refused to go in for treatment. A small note in the GP records stated:

Plan; offered admission for PE -patient declined.

The Defendant tried to rely on this entry, but we believed that a Court would not have accepted this defence because:

  • Mary had not refused medical treatment before and it would have been irrational for her to refuse admission to hospital, for a potentially fatal condition, if properly informed.
  • Paul was present during the examination, and the ambulance records showed that he also believed Mary just had a chest infection.
  • A GP with a patient refusing life threatening treatment would have made a very full note to explain the patient’s decision but the Defendant’s note was sparse.
  • If the Defendant was correct, Mary could still have been treated in the Community without going to hospital but the GP did nothing.

The Defence agreed that Mary would have survived if admitted to hospital any time on 1st December. This meant the case would succeed if we could show the GP had not provided a reasonable standard of care.

The GP continued to defend the case but we proposed a settlement meeting in 2021 and were able to settle the case with very little deduction for the risk of losing the case at Trial. This indicated that the Defendant’s advisers probably took a similar view to us about the case.

This has been a very difficult few years for Paul. He will never forget Mary; they were married for 18 years. Paul was disappointed that the GP never admitted any fault for Mary’s death, but he has recovered from his own psychiatric illness and has a new partner. Paul agreed to share this story as he wanted to highlight the risks of DVTs and Pulmonary Embolisms for others, in the hope that someone else recognises the signs and can be treated before it is too late.

*Please note that the clients’ names have been anonymised.

NHS EARLY NOTIFICATION SCHEME FOR BIRTH INJURIES

July 22, 2021/in Clinical Negligence News, Frontpage News, Uncategorized

 

Exterior of NHS building

In April 2017 the NHS launched the NHS Early Notification Scheme (ENS) to deal with investigations in relation to serious brain injuries suffered by babies at birth. The scheme is designed to speed up investigations to determine whether or not a baby is entitled to receive compensation. It was also set up to ensure that lessons are learned to improve maternity care and avoid future avoidable cases of babies with brain injury. The scheme aims to make maternity and neonatal services safer and to encourage openness and honesty on the part of Hospital Trusts. Read more

Nottingham Maternity Services “Inadequate”

December 9, 2020/in Clinical Negligence News, Frontpage News, Inquest News, News

The Care Quality Commission have downgraded Nottingham Maternity Services to “inadequate” following an unannounced inspection at the Queens Medical Centre and Nottingham City Hospital.  The inspection concluded that some staff  “did not always understand how to keep women and babies safe“.  Many of the problems arose due to staffing shortages or lack of training.  The Hospital Trust have subsequently confirmed that they are recruiting extra midwives. Read more

Living With Spinal Cord Injury

November 18, 2020/in Clinical Negligence News, Frontpage News, Personal Injury News, Uncategorized

Living with spinal cord injury is tough. We have represented clients, paralysed by spinal cord injury (SCI), for over 30 years and we have tackled many different types of claims. Read more

Missed Chances To Save Diabetic Patient

November 12, 2020/in Clinical Negligence News, Frontpage News, Inquest News

Julie Hardy, a clinical negligence specialist, was contacted by the family of Marie Henson, a diabetic patient. Marie was only 53 years old when she died from diabetic complications which were missed in the Newark Urgent Care Centre. Her family spoke of their loss and told local newspapers that their “wonderful mother should still be here”. Read more

Best Clinical Negligence Lawyers in Nottinghamshire

October 29, 2020/in Clinical Negligence News, Frontpage News, News, Uncategorized

This was the independent finding of Chambers and Partners, which ranks firms all the over the world to identify the leading lawyers in specialist areas of law. This reduces the risk of placing your claim with an inexperienced solicitor and ensures you can rely on thousands of interviews carried out by Chambers to assess law firms. Read more

£35,500,000 compensation for David’s clients in 7 months

August 25, 2020/in Frontpage News, Personal Injury News, Uncategorized

We are a modest group of lawyers at Barratts but we had to shout out about our amazing personal injury solicitor, David Tomlinson. Read more

The Cost of Medical Negligence

January 21, 2020/in Clinical Negligence News, News, Uncategorized

Latest reports from the NHS indicate £89 billion is due to be paid for claims. What are the facts? Read more

Page 1 of 212

News

  • Work Begins on new premises for Footprints Conductive Education CentreNovember 4, 2024 - 5:51 pm
  • Number 1 in a star
    Top Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence LawyersOctober 18, 2023 - 6:01 pm
  • Disabled boy in a wheelchair on the beach
    Makaton At ChristmasDecember 23, 2022 - 3:15 pm
  • charity help graphic
    Help for Charities at ChristmasDecember 8, 2022 - 9:55 am
  • Breaking news
    Top Band For Clinical Negligence and Personal InjuryOctober 7, 2022 - 1:27 pm
  • Julie with hand knitted bunnies and homemade biscuits
    Thank YouApril 28, 2022 - 3:02 pm
  • Legal advice
    Pulmonary Embolism – why you need to act quickly.January 7, 2022 - 10:56 am
  • Straight road with future dates
    Thirty Years And Continuing….December 15, 2021 - 11:07 pm
  • Spinal injury or pain
    Mental Health After Spinal Cord InjuryDecember 7, 2021 - 11:38 am
  • Guidance, Assistance, Support signpost
    Charities at ChristmasNovember 30, 2021 - 3:53 pm
  • Number 1 in a star
    Top For Clinical Negligence and Personal InjuryOctober 29, 2021 - 1:43 pm
  • Legal 500 top tier 2021
    CELEBRATING BARRATTS REVIEW BY LEGAL 500October 1, 2021 - 12:55 pm
  • Quality
    Promotions at BarrattsSeptember 23, 2021 - 12:24 pm
  • Disabled boy in a wheelchair on the beach
    NHS EARLY NOTIFICATION SCHEME FOR BIRTH INJURIESJuly 22, 2021 - 6:17 pm
  • Barratts solicitors news
    “Devastating Evidence” From Families at InquestsMay 27, 2021 - 2:38 pm
  • Wheelchair rugby
    Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Day is Today!May 21, 2021 - 1:22 pm
  • Disabled boy in a wheelchair on the beach
    Nottingham Maternity Services “Inadequate”December 9, 2020 - 7:51 pm
  • Girl living with spinal cord injury needs a wheelchair in a car
    Living With Spinal Cord InjuryNovember 18, 2020 - 6:33 pm
  • Nottingham Coroner's Court
    Missed Chances To Save Diabetic PatientNovember 12, 2020 - 5:08 pm
  • Consistency
    Top Tier for Personal Injury Litigation in NottinghamshireOctober 29, 2020 - 12:43 pm
AvMA accredited
SIA member
Head Injury Solicitor
Legal 500 leading firm
AVMA Panel
Chambers top ranked firm
Clinical Negligence Accreditation
Brain injury group
APIL accredited practice

Barratts

Click the below links for details of:
Legal Notices
Terms of Business
Interest Policy
Cookie Policy
Complaints Policy

Barratt Goff & Tomlinson Limited, trading as Barratts Solicitors, are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority
No. 524015
Copyright Barratt Goff & Tomlinson Limited 2017

Opening Hours

Mo-Th: 9:00-17:00
Fr: 9.00-16.00

Out of hours appointments are also available

mail@barratts.legal

Tel: 0115 931 5171

© Barratts Solicitors
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Facebook
Scroll to top