Sara specialises in defending employers’ liability and public liability claims involving large loss and complex injuries, chronic pain and fatal accidents. Sara has also been involved in a number of pieces of group litigation.

She has over 18 years’ experience advising clients across a range of sectors including logistics, construction, healthcare and aviation. Sara is instructed by a number of major insurers.

Sara works closely with clients to understand their business and secure the best outcome, be that to settlement or trial.

Relevant experience includes advising:

• Public liability claim in which the claimant was unloading an HGV trailer when the contents of it fell onto his foot. The claimant, a pre-existing single leg above knee amputee, sustained a crushing injury to his foot, which lead to infection, necrosis, amputations of several toes and ultimately a below knee amputation. Sara secured an early deduction for contributory negligence at a point where the injury was not catastrophic. This later proved to be very valuable. The gathering of robust expert evidence shaped the defendant’s response to the claim and settlement was achieved at JSM at £775,000.
• Employer’s liability claim in an aviation setting where the claimant fell from temporary platform which dropped as he walked across it. The claimant sustained orthopaedic injuries and a traumatic brain injury which resulted in intrusive migrainous headaches. At the time of the incident the claimant was tasked with removing the platform and the defendant believed he was instrumental in causing the accident. Sara conducted a thorough investigation and advised that whilst a finding of negligence was likely, for strategic reasons, breach of duty should be disputed. Sara worked closely with the claimant solicitor, insurer and defendant, to ensure the claimant received rehabilitation and was supported throughout the litigation process, ensuring he continued working, albeit in a different role. Critically the claimant was working at the time of examinations with various medical experts and at the time of settlement, resulting in a much reduced settlement sum.