Caroline Hallissey
| Call date: 1990 | |||
| Email: Caroline Hallissey | Clerk: Graham Woods | ||
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Practice summary
Caroline Hallissey is an experienced clinical negligence practitioner; rated in particular for her client care skills and confidence with complex medical issues. She has a particular expertise in birth brain injury, spinal injury, plastic surgery and large value hospital acquired infection cases. She was junior counsel in the Leslie Ash MSSA claim and is currently instructed in infection cases causing paraplegia and death. In 2009 she was junior counsel for the Claimant in the case of TP v Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust where for the first time compensation was secured in a case of birth brain injury causing autism spectrum disorder. In 2010 she was counsel in a case of hysterectomy causing chronic abdominal adhesions and which later settled for over £800,000. In October 2010 she was junior counsel for the claimant in the successful trial of Ganz v Childs (1), Lloyd (2) and Kingston Hospital a catastrophic brain damage case which was heard by Mr Justice Foskett and which involved complex causation arguments. She has acted in numerous multi-million pound cerebral palsy cases.
Caroline has extensive experience in inquests including medical and Article 2 inquests. Notable inquests are Dr Sandhya Senanayake (a maternal death as a result of post partum haemorrhage), Gough (where she represented an obstetric registrar in a case involving the death of a Jehovah’s witness patient following a post partum haemorrhage), and Berdal (inquest into a death during an operation). Recent inquests have involved neonatal deaths, deaths in prison custody and in psychiatric hospital.
Caroline has a master’s degree in medical ethics from King’s College London and has a particular interest in cases involving consent.
She is rated in Chambers and partners, Legal 500 and Legal Experts. She is an active member of AVMA and APIL.
- Ganz v Dr Childs (1) Dr Lloyd(2) and Kingston Hospital (3)
- The case had particularly difficult causation issues and a large number of experts were required. I did most of the pre-trial preparation including finalising expert evidence and expert agendas.
- T O’Sullivan v North Middlesex Hospital NHS Trust
- The claimant contracted MRSA through a cannula while an inpatient. The cannula tip tested positive for MRSA infection but by the time the test result was available the claimant had discharged himself from hospital. The claimant’s case was that the hospital should have notified his GP of the tst result and that if this had been done, he would have been referred back to hospital and avoided the systemic MRSA infection and spinal damage which occurred.
- Carole O’Connor v Epsom & St Helier Hospitals NHS Trust
- Liability was initially complicated by negative medical opinion. I advised that a new expert should be instructed and liability was then admitted at a very early stage in the case. Quantum was investigated later. The claimant developed significant abdominal adhesions, chronic pain and significant care needs as a result of the negligence and achieved a very significant award.
- Berdal v KCH NHS Foundation Trust
- This was a fatal accident claim brought on behalf of the dependants of a mother who died during surgery for an AVM of the brain. The case involved consent issues as well as complex brain surgery. I acted for the family from the inquest to the settlement of the claim.
"incisive, and takes an excellent, personal approach to clients”. Clinical Negligence, Chambers and Partners 2012
Caroline Hallissey is ‘a breath of fresh air’ and ‘exceptional at testing medical experts ’ opinions’; Clinical negligence and healthcare, Legal 500, 2011
‘thorough’ and ‘knowledgeable’, especially on birth asphyxia cases’ Clinical negligence and healthcare Legal 500 2010
'a fine all-round practitioner, she is especially appreciated for her sensitivity with female clients who have suffered traumatic and personal injuries.' Clinical Negligence, Chambers and Partners 2011