Richard has dealt with almost every type of medical negligence claim.

The bulk of his cases concern the following:

• Brain injuries sustained at birth and shortly thereafter
• Surgery to the brain and spine
• Complex orthopaedic surgery, including joint replacement and reconstructive surgery
• Delays in diagnosing cancer and other serious illness

Richard also has considerable experience in medical product liability claims, and has led several large group actions.

He also conducts a number of professional negligence claims, against other firms of solicitors, concerning the management of clinical negligence and personal injury actions.

Richard manages a team of solicitors based in the York office. He is responsible for the screening of the firm’s new cases, and also for its response to the recent reforms to the recovery of legal costs.

APPROACH

Richard particularly enjoys cases that bring together complex medicine and novel legal arguments, and is adept at explaining these concepts in simple terms.

He prides himself on devising and advancing case theories that others might not have considered, and on applying the law in sometimes inventive ways, to succeed in difficult cases, where others might have given up.

EXPERIENCE

Richard’s practice largely consists of the following:

• Birth injury and neonatal brain injury claims
• Spinal surgery cases, including cauda equina syndrome claims
• Complex orthopaedics, including joint replacement, limb reconstruction, bone cancer and amputation cases
• Cases concerning delays in diagnosing cancer and other serious illnesses
• Richard led a successful group action of 400+ product liability claims against a multinational orthopaedic device manufacturer, concerning hip replacements
• He led a successful group action against a French manufacturer of ankle replacements
• He led a successful clinical negligence group action against a number of surgeons and NHS Trusts concerning the use of mismatched hip replacement devices
• Richard is part of the Thirlwall Inquiry team at Switalskis, representing six of the families named in the criminal indictment against former neonatal nurse Lucy Letby. This Inquiry will explore the circumstances surrounding the tragic events leading to the deaths of and harm to innocent babies within the healthcare system. The Inquiry will seek to provide answers for the victims’ families in an effort to determine accountability and what must be done to prevent such incidents from ever happening again.