<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I have had a fascinating first month of my pupillage under the supervision of Hylton Armstrong. I have had the opportunity to observe quite a wide range of personal injury and clinical negligence work. My time has generally been spent conducting legal research, observing conferences, drafting paperwork, attending court, and going to a various events. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Examples include attending an application to amend a defence to plead fundamental dishonesty with Corin Furness, observing a three-day long public liability trial in Manchester with James Murphy, going to Hudgell Solicitor’s Clinical Negligence Conference on women’s health in York, listening to a Leeds Medico-Legal Society talk by Anna Datta on expert evidence, and being a part of my first North-Eastern Circuit’s Grand Court dinner.   </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Over the last month I have learned how barristers approach situations differently in terms of their oral submissions and written styles, and how they manage time effectively. I have also seen how barristers are able to reframe arguments and explain complex legal analysis in clear language.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The highlight of my month was probably attending an approval hearing before Mrs Justice Foster at the Royal Courts of Justice in London with Howard Elgot and Abigail Telford. They acted on behalf the Claimant in the case of <em>HTR v Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust</em> which eventually settled for over £20m in damages shortly before the quantum trial. I was able to see the relationship between Leading and Junior Counsel and how these roles differ. I also witnessed the real-life impact of long-running litigation on families who are affected by serious instances of clinical negligence.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>More recently I even got to attend Wakefield Coroners’ Court for my first noting brief. Noting briefs are the only types of cases first six pupils can accept instructions on, and it meant that I was able to witness the inquest up close and get a glimpse of what to expect in second six and beyond.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed my first month of pupillage, and have especially enjoyed meeting lots of members, all the staff, my co-pupils, and all the other pupils on circuit.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When I started on 1^st October, it felt like an age had passed since I was offered pupillage back in May 2023. In contrast, my first month at Parklane Plowden has passed by in a flash. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Under the supervision of Jim Hester, I have observed a range of client conferences, a joint settlement meeting and interim application hearings from his busy and interesting industrial disease and personal injury practice. Prior to each conference or hearing, I have considered the case papers, assessed the facts and law and made my own judgement on the case. Discussing the case with Jim before or after the attendance has helped build my understanding and knowledge of often complicated industrial disease concepts such as noise-induced hearing loss claims.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Alongside court-based or client-facing work with Jim, I have been developing my written advocacy skills by drafting pleadings and advices on quantum or liability. This has exposed me to the differences in approach between members of Chambers and has afforded me the opportunity to experiment with my own style in turn. It has also helped me to understand the wide range of personal injury work in Chambers and the type of instructions I am likely to receive when on my feet in 5 months’ time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I have also been fortunate to shadow other members of Chambers over my first month. I have attended two fast-track trials with Andrew Crouch, as well as application hearings with Bharat Jangra and Robert Dunn and a pre-inquest review hearing with Peter Yates. Observing these varieties of hearing has shown me that an important aspect of the Bar involves adapting advocacy style to the relevant forum and audience in order to meet the needs and objectives of your client, whatever they may be.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It has also been interesting to observe different approaches to witness handling and how the outcome of a case can turn on an effective cross-examination. I witnessed one particularly pertinent example of this while shadowing Nicola Twine at Leeds County Court, where Nicola’s meticulous approach to cross-examination assisted her in obtaining a finding of fundamental dishonesty against a Claimant seeking damages for injuries sustained in a road traffic accident. It was also an important lesson in how to react and adapt to the unexpected when cross-examining.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Overall, I have really enjoyed my first month in Chambers. Alongside all of the hard work has been some excellent opportunities to get to know members of Chambers and staff, as well as other pupils and barristers on the North East Circuit. Everyone has been so welcoming and I’m looking forward to what lies ahead in the months to come!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><a href="https://www.parklaneplowden.co.uk/our-barristers/howard-elgot/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Howard Elgot</a> and <a href="https://www.parklaneplowden.co.uk/our-barristers/abigail-telford/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Abigail Telford</a> have secured damages worth almost £24m for a 20-year-old who was born with&nbsp;Cerebral Palsy&nbsp;arising from negligent treatment provided to his mother during her pregnancy.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Howard and Abigail were instructed by <a href="https://www.hudgellsolicitors.co.uk/our-people/chris-moore" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chris Moore</a> of <a href="https://www.hudgellsolicitors.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hudgell Solicitors</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Liability was established after a hard fought liability trial <a href="https://www.bailii.org/cgi-bin/format.cgi?doc=/ew/cases/EWHC/QB/2021/3228.html&amp;query=(HTR%A0v)+AND+(Nottingham)+AND+(University)+AND+(Hospitals)+AND+(NHS)+AND+(Trust)+AND+(.2021.)+AND+(EWHC)+AND+(3228)+AND+((QB))" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">HTR&nbsp;v Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust [2021] EWHC 3228 (QB)</a></strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The settlement was approved by Foster J this week. The settlement meant a further trial, listed for 10 days to commence this week, did not go ahead.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Award will ‘cover cost of lifelong care and support’</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The settlement, which includes a lump sum award of £7.8m and annual payments for the rest of the man’s life, is to be used to fund a purpose-built home for the 20-year-old and his family, with dedicated space for live-in carers and specialist facilities and equipment, including a hydrotherapy pool and a motorhome for holiday travel.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Case centred on delay in treatment</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The case had centred on the care provided to the boy’s mother in 2004 when she was 37 weeks pregnant, and the concerns she had raised at an antenatal clinic about a reduction in movements of her baby.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was alleged that an obstetrician reassured her that all was fine following a scan. This meant she felt relaxed about continued reduced fetal movements, and only returned to the hospital four days later when movements seemed to have ceased.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Her son was born at the City Hospital in Nottingham having suffered a brain injury due to chronic partial hypoxia. He was left severely disabled and in need of 24-hour care.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Trust denied that an obstetrician had carried out the scan at the antenatal clinic and denied that the mother had raised concerns about reduced movement.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At the liability trial in 2021, the Judge said he was satisfied the obstetrician had undertaken the scan at the clinic on the day and that he believed the boy’s mother’s account was correct as to what took place.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mother thanks legal team for ‘complete dedication to family’</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The mother of the 20-year-old, who cannot be named due to an anonymity order, thanked her legal team of Chris Moore of Hudgell Solicitors and her Barristers, Howard Elgot and Abigail Telford of Parklane Plowden Chambers, for always fighting for her son.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>She had previously spoken about how it took the family 14 years to get funding for a downstairs bedroom to be built in their current home, which still lacks specialist facilities, and how, despite their ‘complete unconditional love’, caring 24 hours a day for their son had been ‘draining’. She said:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>“Our son needs 24 hour care which of course, throughout his life, myself, my husband and other family members have provided, but this is something we can’t do forever, so that is why this is so important.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>It has taken us 12 years to reach this day, the day where we can really start to plan for the rest of our son’s life with some certainty and security.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>It needed us to endure years of denials from the Trust, a trial in court where I was basically accused of not telling the truth, and then a three year wait to secure this final settlement.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>I have to thank my legal team for never giving up, and for never forgetting that this was about giving my son the best possible future life. I feel that together, we’ve got a result which will do that, and that is all we have been fighting for.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Given what we have been though, I’d say to any other parent to get legal advice immediately if you have a child born with a brain injury and you’ve got suspicions things weren’t right. It’s a shame that people don’t admit mistakes when so much is at stake for a family. It impacts on the entire family every day, for the rest of their lives.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>I know people will see the value of the potential final settlement and think it is a lot of money, but this will be money to provide the care our son needs, helping us give him the most comfortable life now, and crucially ensuring he has 24 hour care when we are not around in the future.”</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>External coverage of the proceedings can be accessed here:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyg9nvgnj2o">https://www.bbc.</a><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyg9nvgnj2o" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">co.uk/news/articles/clyg9nvgnj2o</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1966205/nottingham-hospital-family-nhs-payout-baby" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1966205/nottingham-hospital-family-nhs-payout-baby</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/nottingham-news/family-receive-up-23m-nhs-9656172">https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/nottingham-news/family-receive-up-23m-nhs-9656172</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Parklane Plowden Chambers has been ranked as a Band One set across five practice areas and a Band Two set across two practice areas in the Chambers &amp; Partners 2025 rankings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Chambers has been listed as Band One, the highest ranking a set can achieve, across the Chancery, Clinical Negligence, Employment, Family: Children and Personal Injury practice areas.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Parklane Plowden is the sole set to be ranked in Band One for both Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury on the North Eastern Circuit.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Additionally, the set has been ranked as a Band Two set for both Family: Matrimonial Finance and Inquests &amp; Public Inquiries.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Individual members received 67 rankings in this year’s edition across:<br><br>• Chancery<br>• Clinical Negligence<br>• Commercial Dispute Resolution<br>• Employment<br>• Family: Children<br>• Family: Matrimonial Finance<br>• Inquests &amp; Public Inquiries<br>• Personal Injury<br>• Personal Injury: Industrial Disease<br>• Professional Negligence<br>• Real Estate Litigation</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Parklane Plowden Chambers has been ranked as a Tier 1 set across five practice areas and a Tier 2 set across two practice areas in The Legal 500 2025 rankings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Chambers has been listed as Tier 1, the highest ranking a set can achieve, across the chancery, probate and tax; clinical negligence; employment; family and children law and personal injury practice areas.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Parklane Plowden is also the only set to be ranked for both chancery, probate and tax and clinical negligence on the North Eastern circuit.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Additionally, the set has been ranked as Tier 2 for both inquests &amp; inquiries and court of protection &amp; community care.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Individual members received 83 rankings in this year’s edition across:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Court of Protection and Community Care</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Chancery, Probate and Tax</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Clinical Negligence</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Commercial Litigation</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Employment</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Family: Children and Domestic Violence</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Family: Divorce and Financial Remedy</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Personal Injury</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Property and Construction</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Professional Negligence</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Inquests and Inquiries</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Leila Benyounes spoke at the Action Against Medical Accidents conference in Manchester.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Leila discussed disclosure and expert evidence, and covered areas including:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Obligations to disclose and management by coroners</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Typical documents to consider on disclosure</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>When should a coroner appoint an independent medical expert</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Instructing the expert: Considerations for the coroner’s court, not civil claim</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>How to deal with causation when there is no clear cause of death</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The conference was held from the 2nd to the 3rd October at Exchange Chambers in Manchester. For more information, please see the <a href="https://www.avma.org.uk/events/representing-families-at-inquests-a-practical-guide-october-2024/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AvMA website</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We are pleased to announce that Parklane Plowden specialist personal injury and clinical negligence barrister, Anna Datta, has been appointed as the new President of the Leeds and District Medico-Legal Society. Anna joined the Society’s committee in 2010, became its legal secretary in 2014, and has most recently been serving as its Vice President.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Anna’s first duty in her new role will be to provide the President’s lecture on the 2nd October, as the BPP University of Law, Leeds. Anna’s lecture will be on: <em>“Great Expectations: Getting the best out of expert evidence”</em>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The <a href="https://www.boa.ac.uk/boa-annual-congress-2024/programme-at-a-glance.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BOA's flagship event</a> is taking place from the 17th - 20th September at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Leila is participating today in a session on Coronial Law and Evidence at the Coroner’s Court followed by a Mock Inquest. On the 20th Leila will be on the faculty for the Law for Orthopaedic Surgeons: Avoiding Jeopardy course.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Anna Datta took part in the medico legal session of the conference, “The ‘Difficult’ Joint Report”. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Chambers are delighted to announce that Nicola Twine has been appointed as a Fee-paid Judge of the First-Tier Tribunal, assigned to the Health, Education and Social Care Chamber.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Chambers would like to congratulate Nicola on her new appointment.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:html --> <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WPl-MnxXje0" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <!-- /wp:html --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Join Parklane Plowden's dental negligence specialist, Mike Hill, as he delivers the second part of his dental negligence series.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mastering Dental Claims will help participants:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Address some of the more unusual dental negligence scenarios</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Get the most out of experts</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Critique expert reports</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Address more complex claims such as nerve injury claims</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list -->