Coodes Solicitors

Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence

Partner and Head of Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence

Rachel Pearce is Head of the Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury department, having joined the firm in 2016.

Having qualified in 2006, she has over 16 years’ experience, including eight as a Partner. She previously worked at firms in Essex and London before relocating to Cornwall and joining Coodes. In 2022, she was invited to become a business owner of the South West firm in recognition of her commitment to driving the future direction of the team and business.

Rachel is highly experienced in acting for clients with particularly complex and challenging cases and enjoys presenting them to the defendants to try and negotiate a settlement, either over the telephone or at face-to-face meetings. She acts for clients in complex, high-value clinical negligence cases, including birth injuries, surgical errors, misdiagnosis, substandard midwifery and nursing care and fatal claims.

In Chambers & Partners 2022, Rachel is ranked as ‘Up and Coming’, acknowledged for her work in misdiagnosis and delay in treatment claims, with further experience in birth injury cases.

In Legal 500, Coodes’ Clinical Negligence team is ranked in Tier 2 and Rachel is described as ‘capable and extremely well-organised’.

Another said, “Rachel works very hard to produce the best results for the client. She is dedicated and very experienced in clinical negligence work. She is an excellent asset to the firm.”

Rachel is ranked in the 2025 edition of Chambers and Partners.

Rachel headed up the team which won the Clinical Negligence Team of the Year at the 2024 PI Awards.

Rachel was shortlisted for, and won, Clinical Negligence Lawyer of the Year for the 2025 Personal Injury Awards.

In November 2025 Rachel was appointed President of the Cornwall Law Society.

Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL)

Panel member of Headway

Accredited member of AVMA Specialist Clinical Negligence Panel

APIL Senior Litigator and Accreditation Clinical Negligence Specialist

Accredited specialist with the Law Society Clinical Negligence Accreditation Scheme

Qualified as a Solicitor in 2006