Melanie has been practising clinical negligence law for over thirty years. She has handled a varied clinical negligence caseload and complex matters, including cerebral palsy, birth injury cases, brain injury, spinal injury, misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis of cancer, as well as complex orthopaedic injuries. In addition to this, Melanie has acted for several vulnerable, mentally disordered clients.

Melanie’s clients would recommend her for her legal skills, determination, and tenacity.  Melanie believes in getting the best outcome for her clients, building relationships with them and working with them collaboratively to ensure that they are fully involved in their cases from start to finish.

In addition to a more general clinical negligence practice, Melanie has specialised in acting for people detained under the Mental Health Act. She has an in-depth knowledge of the Mental Health Act and the Mental Capacity Act, so she is uniquely placed to act for such clients in clinical negligence matters. Melanie can advise on inquest-related matters following fatalities caused by suspected medical mistakes, including where patients have taken their own lives in prisons and mental health units.

Melanie has been a personal injury and clinical negligence lawyer since training in 1989 and qualified as a Chartered Legal Executive (FCILEx) in 1996.  Since then, she has undertaken various clinical negligence cases, led teams, and trained junior fee earners.

A client recently described Melanie as “kind, tenacious and hard-working”.  Another client explained that she approached their case “…always as a professional and with integrity whilst obtaining outstanding results”.

• Committee member for Hampshire Law Society

Recent work

• Negligent delays in birth management leading to diagnosis of cerebral palsy and seven-figure settlement for the client;
• Negligence in complex orthopaedic case leading to functional amputation and an award for the client of seven figures;
• Failures in bariatric surgery leading to significant problems and six figure settlement for the client;
• Pursuing a seven-figure settlement for a client where failure to monitor a head injury in A&E led to stroke and acquired brain injury;
• Recently acted for a gentleman who suffered a head injury following a fall. He was taken to the hospital but was not admitted, and no CT scan was undertaken. This failure was repeated on two further visits to A&E. Due to the severity of the head injury, the client suffered a stroke due to undiagnosed brain swelling, subsequent permanent left-sided paralysis and personality change. He was unable to work and will need professional care in the future. The case settled for a significant sum to enable the client to pay for future treatment and respect and be compensated for lost earnings.