Nicola is a specialist clinical negligence solicitor with more than 20 years’ experience in the field. She joined JMW in April 2020 as the first partner in the clinical negligence department to be based out of our London Office. Nicola had previously spent nine years as a partner at Leigh Day Solicitors, also in London.
Nicola specialises exclusively in clinical negligence claims for patients arising from medical care that has gone wrong, or as a result of a failure to provide treatment. She has expertise in a wide range of claims, but particularly those that are complex or that result in severe, life changing injuries.
Nicola has acted in a number of high-value cases for clients who have suffered avoidable brain injuries. This includes clients who sustained brain damage at birth due to maternity failures and brain injuries caused by the mismanagement of infections, such as meningitis, as well as surgical errors. Nicola also acts for clients who have suffered other types of injuries, including gynaecological and those arising from delays in diagnosis of diseases and sepsis, and for the families of those who have died.
Nicola’s experience includes:
- Successfully settling a claim for a 9-year-old-girl who had suffered brain damage during her delivery at West Middlesex Hospital. She was left with permanent brain damage causing cerebral palsy as a result of the misuse of forceps. Nicola was able to secure an eight figure sum of compensation to help to meet her needs for the rest of her life.
- Securing a six figure compensation settlement for a 75-year-old man who suffered brain damage during sinus surgery. He was left with permanent neurological damage which caused him to suffer epilepsy and left him unable to work.
- Successfully concluding a claim for a five-year-old girl who suffered a lack of oxygen to her brain and was left with cerebral palsy as a result of a delay in delivering her at Mayday Hospital in Croydon. She suffered the most severe of injuries which meant she was dependent on others for all aspects of life. The eight figure compensation settlement recovered enabled her mother to employ carers to help her to provide the 24-hour care her daughter needed.
- Securing the future needs of a 16-year-old girl whose GP failed to diagnose her meningococcal septicaemia when she was a baby. She had to undergo repeated surgery as a result of her injuries and was likely to require ongoing therapy and further medical interventions throughout her life.
- Successfully settling a claim for a lady who suffered spinal injuries as a result of poor mental health care which left her unnecessarily suffering symptoms of psychosis and depression. She was left in pain and with restricted mobility.
- Acting for the mother of a 9-year-old boy who died after he was sent home from Croydon University Hospital with meningococcal septicaemia.
- Acting for the parents of babies who were stillborn due to delays in their deliveries. Nicola was able to obtain answers and apologies for these bereaved parents, in addition to compensation.
Nicola has been described in Chambers & Partners legal directory as a ‘highly experienced lawyer who achieves great results’ for clients. Feedback from clients given to Chambers & Partners states ‘She is incredibly empathetic and understanding, in addition to having great communication skills’.
Nicola is a member of the Law Society Clinical Negligence Accreditation Panel and an APIL Senior Litigator. She is currently the Co-Ordinator of Apil’s Special Interest Group on Procedure and a member of FOCIS (Forum of Complex Injury Solicitors).
Nicola wrote the section on Clinical Negligence for Westlaw online encyclopaedia of law.
She is the former chair and current member of the Association of Women Solicitors, London.
Nicola qualified as a solicitor in 1997 after training with Pictons. She specialised in personal injury and clinical negligence at Davies & Partners, Birmingham before joining Leigh Day in 2000, since when she has specialised in clinical negligence. She became a Partner at Leigh Day in 2006.
