Samantha Critchley joined the firm in 2003. She specialises in
medical negligence claims and is on the specialist Action Against Medical Accidents
(AvMA) panel. Samantha also undertakes some personal injury work and is a member of the
Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) and has attained the
accredited level of Senior Litigator for this organisation.
Samantha was made a partner in 2009.
The Legal 500, 2005 reported that, “Samantha Critchley is
considered a rising star in view of her successes in
2004…”
In the Legal 500, 2007 specific reference was made to one of
Samantha's ophthalmic cases "In 2006, the firm brought a High
Court claim against Moorfields Eye Hospital in which it argued,
'perhaps ingeniously' according to the judge, that the Control of
Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations when applied to clinical
negligence claims should reverse the burden of proof."
Examples of work include:
- Recovered £1.35 million in damages for a wrongful birth case
concerning the failure by hospital staff to detect serious birth
abnormalities
- Settled a psychiatric care claim for
£350,000 where a patient with a history of mental illness fell
through a window on the third floor of a hospital. Previously at
least three other patients were injured in similar circumstances.
Following these cases the psychiatric unit was moved to the ground
floor of the hospital concerned.
- Obtained an infant court settlement for a child who suffered
from Erb's Palsy following her birth in the sum of £320,000.
- Recovered £135,000 in damages for a young mother who sustained
a 3rd degree obstetric tear during the
delivery of her baby, which left her incontinent and psychological
trauma.
- Recovered the sum of £60,000 for psychiatric injuries suffered by a young mother
following the death of her first child.
- Settlement of £65,000 for a mother following the delivery of
her baby relating to the delay in diagnosis of volvulous which
resulted in infertility and PTSD.
- Recovered £50,000 in connection with a woman who suffered a
delay in diagnosis of ovarian cancer.
- Secured £78,000 damages, an admission of liability and apology
for a woman who suffered a delay in diagnosis of breast
cancer.
- Settled an ophthalmic surgical claim
where delay in performing surgery led to a patient being
effectively blind in one eye
- Settled a personal injury claim for
£250,000 where a Warrant Officer in the Territorial Army suffered
severe head injuries and knee injuries following collision with a
stationary lorry
She has given talks on clinical negligence
issues. In 2006 Samantha spoke at the 2nd Joint Conference of
The Expert Witness Institute and the Institute of Psychiatry. In
2007 she lectured on the issue of MRSA and Hospital Acquired
Infection. She has been interviewed for both television and radio
regarding topical clinical negligence
issues and is an active fundraiser for charity including, in
recent times, AvMA, Headway
North London and the Child Brain Injury Trust.
Her cases have featured in the law reports.