Personal Injury: Defence
Catherine’s practice focuses on high value multi-track claims and she is primarily instructed on behalf of defendants.
She is on the Attorney-General’s Regional A Panel of Junior Counsel and she is regularly instructed to act on behalf of government departments and agencies in cases concerning her areas of practice.
Many of the cases in which Catherine is instructed involve six figure claims for future loss of earnings and / or future loss of pension. She is regularly instructed as sole defence counsel in claims valued at over £1 million. She has particular expertise in military claims.
Catherine is also very familiar with the issues that arise in cases involving consideration of the employment relationship or employment law issues, including claims involving allegations of psychiatric injury due to stress at work, claims under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, and claims involving a dispute as to whether the Claimant’s injury constitutes a disability within the meaning of the Equality Act 2010.
She has been instructed to represent organisations alleged to be vicariously liable for alleged historic sexual and physical abuse.
Catherine has a well-earned reputation for her organisation, her teamwork and her ability to merge sensitivity with strength when instructed.
Defence Cases
Recent instructions include:
- Representing the Ministry of Defence in a number of claims brought by servicemen and women arising out of alleged injuries sustained during service (including significant orthopaedic injuries, traumatic brain injury, and non-freezing cold injuries). Such cases often involve expert evidence from a number of different disciplines, and claims for the loss of a chance of longer military service and associated earnings and pension.
- Representing defendants in claims where issues of potential exaggeration / malingering and fundamental dishonesty have arisen, in particular cases involving surveillance and contested expert evidence.
- In a number of claims, acting on behalf of defendant organisations alleged to be vicariously liable for incidents of historic sexual abuse. Catherine is experienced in advising on the issues that arise in such cases, in particular: limitation; vicarious liability; the challenges of addressing liability evidence in historic cases; evaluating medical evidence concerning the presence of significant psychiatric injury; and responding to substantial claims for future loss of earnings and pension.
- Acting on behalf of defendants in cases involving claims of alleged psychiatric injury resulting from alleged stress at work, and claims brought under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.
