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Doughty Street Chambers

53-54 DOUGHTY STREET, LONDON, WC1N 2LS, ENGLAND

Tel:: Work 020 7404 1313
Fax:: Fax 020 7404 2283
DX:: 223 LONDON CHANCERY LANE

Web:: www.doughtystreet.co.uk
Email:

Manchester, London, Bristol

Paula Sparks

Tel:: Work +44 20 7404 1313
Email:

Position

Paula is experienced in clinical negligence, personal injury, inquests and group litigation. She acts for substantial numbers of claimants in clinical negligence cases every year. The bulk of her practice consists of multi-track clinical negligence work and inquests, including deaths in custody, mental health related deaths and patient deaths. She has acted in other areas where there are complex issues of quantum, including immigration detention and claims arising from deaths in custody and detention abroad. Her clinical negligence practice is diverse and covers a range of cases from dental negligence to injuries of utmost severity. Reported settlements appear in the leading medico-legal journals, including 'AVMA Medical & Legal Journal' (Clinical Risk) and 'Personal Injury Medical Law Letter' (PMILL) and recent settled cases include catastrophic brain injury, cholecystectomy leading to permanent physical injury, wrongful termination of pregnancy, late identification of twin to twin transfusion syndrome, mis-prescription leading to drug injury and lack of informed consent for an ophthalmic procedure causing visual loss. Paula appeared recently in the Court of Appeal in Ministry of Justice v Carter [2010] EWCA Civ 694, (CA) and has acted as a junior counsel in a number of other reported cases, including Taylor v Nugent Care Society (formerly Catholic Social Services, Liverpool) (2004) 1 WLR 1129 (CA); R (On the application of Christine Davies) v HM Deputy Coroner for Birmingham (2004) 1 WLR 2739 (CA) and Rahman v (1) Arearose ltd & anor (2) University College London NHS Trust, CA (2001) QB 351. She has also represented claimants in clinical negligence trials including Baptiste v Guy's Hospital Trust (2002), unreported (clinical negligence trial).

Career

Called 1994; Gray's Inn. After being called to the bar Paula was employed in the legal team at Action against Medical Accidents (the leading UK charity for victims of medical accidents), where she worked as an in-house lawyer and lawyers service manager. She then joined Doughty Street Chambers where she has remained, practising predominantly in the fields of clinical negligence, personal injury and coronial law. Publications of note: 'Revisiting the Case for Uplifting Damages for Non-pecuniary Loss' - Journal of Personal Injury Law (2011); 'The impact of the Human Rights Act for Patient and Accident Victims' - Journal of Personal Injury Law (12/2008); Liberty's 'Your Rights' (Chapter contributed: The Rights of the Bereaved); APIL Personal Injury Law, Practice and Precedents, published by Jordans (Chapters contributed: non-compensatory damages, inquests, fatal accidents, Compensatory Recovery Unit and interest); 'The Medical Accidents Handbook: A Practical Guide for Patients and their Advisers 'Wileys, chapters contributed.

Member

Action against Medical accidents (AvMA), Personal Injuries Bar Association (PIBA) and the Inquest Lawyers Group (ILG). She is chair of the Association of Lawyers for Animal Welfare (ALAW).

Education

East London Polytechnic (1991, LLB Hons, 2:1).

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