Sara Sutherland

Call 2004

sutherland@exchangechambers.co.uk

"Sara is a first-rate barrister who is strong in all areas. She has excellent client skills."

The Legal 500 2024
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Personal Injury

Sara appears on behalf of both claimants and defendants in fast track and multi track cases. Her experience extends across the following areas:

  • Accidents at work
  • Cases involving allegations of fraud and exaggeration
  • Clinical Negligence
  • Defective premises claims
  • Industrial Disease
  • Military claims
  • Occupiers’ Liability claims
  • Public liability claims.
  • Road traffic accidents involving HGVs, buses, motor cars and motorbikes.

Sara is regularly involved in high value cases. She often drafts Schedules of loss amounting to in excess of £500,000 and Counter Schedules. Sara enjoys involvement with cases from pre litigation analysis through to conclusion at trial and is happy to discuss issues informally throughout the course of the litigation.

Cases

C died aged only a few days old. The mother had sustained a spontaneous rupture of the membranes at 36 weeks and had attended a hospital. She had not been given antibiotics and had been discharged. C was born by emergency caesarean section a few days later and despite displaying signs of illness, was not treated for many hours. They have since uncovered a number of other deaths, which are now the subject of a police investigation.

Claimant sustained a life changing injury when their foot was crushed in an incident at work. Suffered with wide ranging psychological injury as a result of the incident. We resolved the case at JSM for a six figure sum.

C was killed when cycling a bicycle along a main thoroughfare. C struck a pothole and was thrown to the ground sustaining fatal injuries. The family are pursuing a personal injury claim on behalf of the estate of C and dependents.

Motorcycling accident where the Claimant sustained life changing injuries. He is no longer able to work and requires extensive ongoing treatment.

Fatal injury at work – the Claimant was injured when a piece of metal was ejected from work equipment and struck him. The case is contested on all grounds.

Extensive burns sustained in an accident at work when C’s skirt caught fire on a calor gas burner. Damages in excess of £25,000 achieved.

Noise induced hearing loss – over many years C had been exposed to extensive and continuous levels of noise. Settlement figure in excess of £20,000 achieved.

Hand arm vibration syndrome – C exposed to excessive levels of vibration during the course of his employment with a number of employers. Settlement figure in excess of £15,000 achieved.

C injured after cycling into a defect on a highway, all matters were contested. At trial, an award in excess of £10,000 achieved.

Injury while abroad; C involved in a road traffic accident while working abroad, settlement figure in excess of £50,000 achieved.

Examples of work on behalf of the Defendant

C (a child, deceased) was admitted to hospital with symptoms of illness but was discharged with advice to return if there was a significant deterioration. C was taken back to hospital 3 days later and sustained life changing injury as a result of Meningitis. I was instructed by the NHS trust to represent their medical practitioners who attended.

Alleged injury at work by a paramedic who said he had sustained life changing injuries after the step on the back of the ambulance fell onto his leg because of a missing strap. Claim dismissed.

Alleged injury at work where C claimed he had sustained back injuries as a result of heavy lifting. Claim dismissed, C failed to prove case.

Alleged slipping accident at D’s premises. Demonstrated they had in place both an appropriate reactive and proactive system of cleaning.

Collision involving a bus and a motorcycle. 4 independent witnesses alleged at trial that the bus was at fault. We were able to show that it was in fact the motorcyclist who was responsible for the accident, claim dismissed, counterclaim succeeded.

Road traffic collision involving a bus. Despite 2 independent witnesses, claim dismissed and we established that the bus driver was not at fault.

Pre action disclosure application on behalf of Defendant, Claimant failed to formulate application appropriately, leaving it vague and fundamentally flawed. Application dismissed.