Areas of Expertise

• Clinical Negligence

  Rochelle is a clinical negligence specialist with considerable experience in a wide range of claims.

  Rochelle receives instructions from both Claimants and Defendants and routinely advises clients on paper and in conference.  Much of Rochelle’s work is of a complex nature and/or of substantial value.  She combines her busy clinical negligence practice with her specialism in personal injury litigation, much of which involves serious and catastrophic injuries and/or complex industrial disease claims.

  Rochelle is a determined and meticulous advocate.  She is particularly skilled at dealing with expert evidence, on paper, in conference and in court.  She enjoys the challenge of complex legal arguments and is very good at providing practical and concise advice to clients.

  Rochelle is routinely instructed by clients to provide written advice, settle pleadings (including complex schedules and counter-schedules), conduct conferences with (lay and expert) witnesses, and to represent clients at interim hearings, trials, and at mediation/joint settlement meetings.  Some examples of Rochelle’s work have covered the following areas:

  • Missed diagnosis
  • Oncology claims
  • Fatal cases
  • Surgical negligence
  • Orthopaedic claims (including spinal claims)
  • Claims against GPs
  • General surgery (including gynaecology claims)
  • Obstetric errors/wrongful births
  • Lack of informed consent/failure to advise
  • Pharmacological errors

  Rochelle enjoys the challenge of tackling difficult cases.  She is a robust advocate in court and has a friendly and approachable style when engaging with clients and witnesses.  She works as a team with her instructing solicitors and experts to achieve the best outcome for her clients.  She is always ready and willing to discuss new and ongoing matters over the phone and provide quick and tactical advice as the case progresses.

• Personal Injury

  Rochelle is a highly experienced personal injury barrister. Much of her work is now of a complex nature and/or substantial value. Other than her work in the areas of clinical negligence and industrial disease, Rochelle is also routinely instructed in claims involving serious/catastrophic injuries.

  Many of Rochelle’s serious injury cases involve catastrophic orthopaedic injuries resulting in amputation, chronic pain conditions and/or long-term requirement for prosthesis. She is also frequently instructed in cases with traumatic brain injuries and/or complex spinal injuries which give rise to permanent disabilities and/or future risks of dementia, cognitive impairment and/or mobility problems.

  Some of Rochelle’s recent cases cover the following areas:

  • Serious spinal injury
  • Serious orthopaedic injury (including limb amputation)
  • Serious brain injury
  • Pain disorder
  • Fatal accident litigation with complex dependency claims
  • Psychiatric injury (including secondary victim claims)
  • Counter-fraud cases.

  Rochelle’s considerable court experience and particular skillset in handing experts of all disciplines mean that she can always identify the most important issues even in the most complicated cases and present her clients’ case in a focused and practical way.

  Rochelle is often involved from the early stage of each case, providing initial advice on evidence, liability and quantum, drafting pleadings, attending interim hearings, and taking the case through to trial and mediation/joint settlement meetings. She is always on hand to provide practical and procedural advice to her instructing solicitor and clients. She has a reputation for meticulous preparation, robust advocacy and empathy with clients/witnesses.

• Disease

  Rochelle is a very experienced and highly regarded barrister with a busy industrial disease practice.

  She is routinely instructed to represent clients in the following types of cases:

  • COSHH cases (including occupational asthma and dermatitis claims
  • HAVS and CTS claims
  • Work-related upper limb/back disorders
  • Stress at work claims
  • Asbestos claims
  • Noise Induced Hearing Loss and acoustic shock claims.

  Rochelle has a meticulous approach to case preparation.  Her extensive experience in handing experts (in conference and in court) across her practice areas means that she can give her clients tailored and practical advice on evidence and procedure from the start to finish of each claim.

  She has considerable experience in drafting pleadings, providing advice (in writing and in conference), testing expert evidence in conference, and representing clients at interim hearings, trials and mediation/joint settlement meetings.

  Outside of court, Rochelle has a friendly and approachable style and is always happy to discuss matters with her instructing solicitor and provide prompt advice as cases progress.

• Inquests

  As part of her clinical negligence practice, Rochelle has considerable experience in representing families and medical professionals at inquests and pre-inquest reviews in cases involving complex questions of negligence and causation.

  Rochelle is highly experienced in handling expert and lay witness evidence at Inquests and often provide advice (both before and after the Inquests) to her clients regarding issues of procedure, witness and expert evidence.

About

• Professional Memberships

  • Action Against Medical Accidents (AvMA)
  • Personal Injuries Bar Association

• Qualifications

  • LLB, University of Warwick