Paul is a leading silk with over 30 years’ experience in both Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury Litigation as junior counsel and in silk.
Described as ‘top drawer silk with a real desire to fight and win the difficult case’ Paul is regularly recognised for his ‘pragmatic advice and excellent client manner’. His cross examination and negotiating skills are described as ‘formidable’, his knowledge ‘encyclopaedic’ and he is a favourite of instructing solicitors due to his ‘genuine commitment to clients’.
Paul’s experience ranges across all specialist areas including brain and spinal injuries, negligent and delayed diagnosis, accidents at birth and surgical errors. For full details please view his specialist profiles.
Paul is willing to accept cases without a junior where appropriate.
“His cross-examination is an art form.” “Paul is tactically great.” “Paul is an experienced litigator.”
Chambers UK 2023 - Clinical Negligence
“Paul is very efficient, hugely experienced and gets right to the heart of a case.”
Legal 500 2023 - Clinical Negligence
“A very experienced silk who is knowledgeable in a wide range of matters. He is analytical and considered in his advice and excellent with medical experts. He gets to the crux of the issue quickly and tackles problems head on.” “He is very good at finding the key point of evidence.”
Chambers UK 2022 - Clinical Negligence
“Paul is particularly adept at getting right to the heart of the case, clients and opponents appreciate the directness of his approach.”
Legal 500 2022 - Clinical Negligence
“A very experienced silk who is very knowledgeable, analytical and considered in his advice. He is excellent with medical experts and tackles problems head-on.”
Chambers UK 2021 - Clinical Negligence
Notable Cases
MJC v TB
Capitalised value: 8 figures.
Catastrophic injuries suffered as a result of collision with a motor car while the Claimant was riding his bicycle. Life changing physical and cognitive injuries.
Periodical payments for care. Claimant living with his family supported by a 24 hour 2:1 care package in new, purpose built house with hydrotherapy pool.
AAA v SSH
Capitalised value: 8 figures.
Claimant catastrophically injured as a result of electrocution and then falling from an electricity pylon that she had climbed having absconded from a secure psychiatric unit. Longstanding history of psychiatric illness. Permanent physical and cognitive injuries. Liability for hospital’s failure to keep Claimant safe admitted.
Claimant living in a suitably adapted home of her own with 24 hour 2:1 care package.
Periodical payments for care and case management.
Fulcher v Kings College Hospital and others
2018
Negligent surgical treatment of patient with severe epilepsy, worsening her condition.
FRE v Imperial College Health Care Trust
2018
Failure to act on fetal distress and proceed to caesarean section: cerebral palsy
KF v City Hospital Birmingham
2018
Failure to diagnose and treat a twisted bowel post birth leading to small bowel, liver and pancreas transplants. Life limiting condition.
MP v University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust
2018
Infant with respiratory distress. Failure at hospital to recognise severity of condition. Pharyngeal abscess leading to hypoxia and catastrophic injury.
W v University Hospital of Morecombe NHS Trust
2018
Failure to seal a CSF leak during surgery to inner ear resulting in severe brain damage.
RB v Dudley and Walsall Mental Health Trust
2017
Patient in psychiatric hospital secure ward. Risk of suicide. Failure to supervise. Patient left hospital and electrocuted on nearby electricity pylon. Catastrophic brain injury.
Jehan v Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust
2017
Wrongful birth, failure to advise of high risk of severely disabled baby. Damages agreed: 2.745m
B v University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
2017
Alleged negligent treatment of congenital condition resulting in quadriplegia (locked in syndrome).
MP v University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust
2017
Alleged failure to diagnose pharyngeal abscess resulting in oxygen starvation, cardiac arrest and catastrophic injury.
B-HL v The Ministry for Health and Social Services
2016
Jersey. Fetal hypoxia during delivery. Very severely disabled baby. Cerebral Palsy.
Anderson v Stewart
2016
Alleged failure of GP’s practice nurse to refer claimant to doctor for diagnosis: meningitis.
B-M v Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust
2015
Claimant’s aorta severed during surgery to treat an ectopic pregnancy resulting in hypotension and severe brain damage. Lump sum 2m, periodical payments for care (index linked): 220,000, periodical payments for other recurring costs (index linked): 16,500
HAX v Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust
2015
Neonatal test for congenital hypothyroidism wrongly reported. Baby severely disabled from birth. Lump sum: 1.5m, periodical payments for loss of earnings from 2018 to aged 65 (index linked): 13,000, periodical payments for care and case management from 2018 for life (index linked) 143,000.
Sawyer-Simmons v Northwest London Hospitals NHS Trust
Negligent renal treatment over a number of years leading to kidney transplant. Settled on lump sum basis with provisional damages to abide the chance of further transplants and the risk of a range of disabling and potentially fatal conditions arising from lifelong use of immunosuppressant drugs.
Uwigize v Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust
2013
Negligent failure to diagnose platybasia, claimant quadriplegic.
Joplin v Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Trust (with Emma Brown)
2010
Claimant with Parkinson’s Disease. Rendered tetraplegic as a result of delay in diagnosing spinal abscess after admission to hospital. Issues on causation of tetraplegia and long term prognosis in light of Parkinson’s.
Evans v West Midlands Strategic Health Authority and Walsall Manor Hospital and NHS Trust
2009
Very young girl: failure to diagnose meningitis while in hospital and subsequent negligent surgery to excise dermal cyst. Brain damage: neuropathic bladder and bowels as well as hemiplegia. Issues on liability of community health physician failing to discover sinus at six week check up and thereafter diagnosis of meningitis after admission to hospital. Liability admitted for negligent surgery to deal with dermal cyst and eventually for failure to diagnose meningitis while an inpatient.
Appointments
Recorder
Part Time Judge of the First Tier Property Tribunal (Agricultural and Drainage)
Bencher of Inner Temple
Member of the Personal Injury Bar Association
Qualifications
LLB (Hons)