Hylton Armstrong succeeds at trial in fatal Clinical Negligence Claim

The Deceased was 21 years old when he took his own life by hanging himself outside a probation office.  The legal claim related to an in-person appointment with the Defendant General Practitioner 3 days earlier. 

The Claimant’s case was that the Defendant had failed to conduct an adequate assessment of the Deceased’s risk of suicide, failed to address another recent suicide attempt, and failed to make an urgent same day referral to the local crisis team. 

Hylton acted for the Claimant, who was the Deceased’s mother acting on behalf of the Deceased’s estate, and successfully argued that (1) the Defendant was negligent, and (2) that but-for the Defendant’s negligence the Deceased would not have died when he did. 

The Claimant relied on expert evidence from Dr Adrian Rees (General Practitioner) and Dr Sikandar Kamlana (Consultant Psychiatrist). The Defendant relied on expert evidence from Dr Oliver Starr (General Practitioner) and Dr Christopher Buller (Consultant Psychiatrist). 

The trial was heard at Leeds County Court across 3 days before His Honour Judge Walsh. Hylton was instructed by Richard Lewis, Abigail Lewis, and Carlos Lopez from Express Solicitors.