Stephen Webber
Medical Negligence Solicitor
Position
Partner, Head of Medical Negligence
Services
Areas of expertise
- Clinical negligence
- Cosmetic surgery negligence
- Human rights
- Public inquiries
- Inquests
Profile
Stephen Webber is a Partner and Head of the Medical Negligence
Team at Hugh James. Stephen specialises in high value medical
negligence cases including cerebral palsy, spinal injuries, brain
injury, psychiatric, obstetric cases and issues relating to human
rights. He also specialises in representing clients in public
inquiries and has a niche specialism in acting for people affected
by food poisoning outbreaks and dealing with inquests.
Stephen has been described as follows in the top legal
directories:
- "First rate, handling very high value claims with aplomb and is
an extremely calm solicitor who instils great confidence".
Legal 500 2011
- "Very calm" and "a most effective operator". Legal 500
2010
- "Successfully combines a thriving clinical negligence practice
with his management responsibilities and recently settled a £7.8m
adult brain injury case". Chambers Legal Guide 2011.
- Stephen is on both the AVMA and Law
Society's clinical negligence panels and is a Fellow of the
Association of Personal Injury Lawyers
Stephen has acted in the following cases:
- Court of Appeal case of Ceri Ann Walters v North Glamorgan NHS
trust, the leading case on the issue of psychiatric injuries
affecting secondary victims.
- A cerebral palsy claim, T V Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust in which
£4 million was recovered following a brain injury to an infant
client.
- On behalf of the families affected by the e-coli outbreak in
South Wales in September 2005 in relation to a civil action and was
appointed by the Welsh Government to represent the families in the
public inquiry.
- Lawrence v Pembrokeshire county council court of Appeal dealing
with the issues of whether a Local Authority has a duty of care to
parents when dealing with their children.
- C –v- Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. A case which
decided the issue of a Duty of Care to a parent where her child had
been abused by a person other than the parent.
- A case of a psychiatric patient who was injured jumping from a
window of a psychiatric unit and sustaining brain injury recovering
over £1.8m (capitalised sum).
- A case involving a client who was rendered paraplegic which was
complicated by the fact that the claimant had already had a below
knee leg amputation and the client recovered £800,000 and £110,000
per year rising to £135,000 per year after 4 years.
- Recovering £7.8million (capitalised lump sum) for a client who
suffered brain injuries when the hospital did not provide her with
anti-epileptic medication.
- A settlement of £700,000 for the family of a disabled child for
wrongful birth and negligent failure to properly advise upon the
diagnosis of the disability to the child during pregnancy.
- A settlement of £600,000 in relation to a failure to diagnose
compartment syndrome.
- Numerous cases involving cerebral palsy where liability has
been admitted by the defendants and investigations are ongoing to
achieve multi million pound settlements.
- A wide range of other claims including brain damage, spinal
cord injury, failure to diagnose cancer, fatal claims, negligent
surgery, failure to diagnose cauda equina, failure to obtain
informed consent, wrongful birth claims, side affects of incorrect
medication, inquests, failure to avoid stillbirths and numerous
human rights claims involving Article 2 (Right to Life) and Article
8 (Right to Family Life).
See more information on Stephen's successful negligence case wins
Professional career
Trained: Hugh
James
Qualified: 1996
Partner at Hugh James: 2003
Head of Clinical Negligence: 2007
Education
Brynteg Comprehensive School (1989)
London School of Economics (1992) LLB
Chester College of Law (1993) LSF Honours
Partner, Head of Medical Negligence
E stephen.webber@hughjames.com
T 029 2022 4871