Olinga specialises in personal injury, clinical negligence and employment disputes. He is ranked as a leading junior by Legal 500, where he is praised for his “impeccable attention to detail” and persuasive advocacy.
Olinga has particular expertise in quantum matters and serves as an editor of Facts & Figures.
Before joining Chambers, Olinga completed the Bar Professional Training Course as a Lord Denning Scholar of Lincoln’s Inn, graduating top amongst all students at the Inn.
Before law, Olinga took a Double First in Physics and Philosophy as an undergraduate at Oxford University and there he also completed his Masters in the Philosophy of Physics with distinction. Whilst at Oxford, Olinga graduated top of his year in all four years of study, winning several prizes and scholarships.
Olinga is a sought after personal injury practitioner. He has been ranked in the field of personal injury by Legal 500 since 2022. Olinga is highly numerate and adept at drafting complex schedules of loss. He serves as an editor of Facts & Figures.
Olinga appeared in the Court of Appeal in 2023 in the case of FXF which set an important precedent on the applicable test for applications to set aside default judgement.
Olinga’s practice increasingly consists of catastrophic injury claims, including brain and spinal cord injury cases. He has significant experience of industrial disease work, including mesothelioma and asbestosis claims. His caseload also encompasses RTAs, claims under the Highways Act and Occupiers’ Liability Acts and claims arising from sexual abuse.
CF v MOD (ongoing)
Acting for a claimant in a claim for damages in connection with an increase in respiratory disability arising from a diagnosis of asbestosis as a result of negligent exposure to asbestos. Original claim settled in 2012 on a provisional damages basis.
(1) DP (2) MC v an employer (ongoing)
Acting for the executors of the estate of MP, deceased, who died in 2022 having developed malignant mesothelioma as a result of occupational exposure to asbestos whilst working in a hospital.
F v M and ors (2020)
Acting for the claimant in a Fatal Accident Act claim in which the deceased developed lung cancer following asbestos exposure in the course of his work with several employers. Claim settled in 2020.
DC v TL and ors (2019)
Acting for the claimant in a complex NIHL claim against five defendants involving issues of de minimis loss and losses at 4 kHz.
OW v JM (ongoing)
Claim arising from catastrophic road traffic accident in which a mother was killed and one of her sons left with a life changing brain injury. Olinga acts for the children in the injury and dependency claims and the mother’s ex-partner in a claim for nervous shock. Likely to be significant 7-figure claim. Led by Eliot Woolf KC.
MS v GC (2023)
Acting unled for a claimant who suffered a brain injury in a road traffic accident, resulting in persisting neurological symptoms and severe psychiatric injury. Liability admitted. Claim settled for significant 6 figure sum in 2023.
RR v (1) TP (2) MIB (2021)
Acting for a tetraplegic claimant who was the passenger in an uninsured vehicle involved in a serious RTA. Pleaded claim in the order of £22 million. MIB raised issues of knowledge under clause 8 and contributory negligence. Led by Gerard McDermott KC. Claim settled in 2021.
SB v RL and others (2021)
Acting for the claimant in a very high value catastrophic injury case. The claimant was involved in a road traffic accident whilst cycling in an organised time trial and suffered a traumatic brain injury. Led by Matthew Phillips KC. Claim settled in 2021.
A v B (2020)
Catastrophic injury case arising from a motorbike accident involving a young claimant. Capitalised full liability value in the order of £15 million. Issues of ex-turpi causa and contributory negligence. Led by Christopher Gibson KC. Claim settled in 2020.
LW v STE Ltd, T Ltd (ongoing)
Acting for the widow of a young man who died as a result of electrocution after coming into contact with power cables whilst operating a cherry picker. Claim pleaded at in excess of £2.5 million. Led by Harry Steinberg KC.
AE v a mental healthcare provider (ongoing)
Acting for the defendant in a claim brought by a healthcare assistant who was working on a secure mental health ward for the defendant when he was attacked by a service user without provocation.
GO v a construction company (2022)
Acting unled for a claimant who was seriously injured whilst removing a mechanised shutter on a roller shutter door. Very significant claim for loss of earnings. Claim pleaded at c£700,000. Settled in 2022 at a joint settlement meeting.
DH v SB Ltd (2019)
Acting unled for the claimant in brain injury case involving a young man who fell three metres onto a concrete floor whilst insulating a loft. Claim settled in 2019.
CS v an occupier (ongoing)
Acting for a claimant whose finger was partially severed whilst closing a defective fire door. Claim under the OLA 57.
WB v (1) an insurer (2) TI Ltd (ongoing)
Acting for a claimant who suffered serious neck and chest fractures, amongst other injuries, after falling from a terrace in a pub with an unprotected significant drop.
In the matter of Hill End Adolescent Unit (ongoing)
Acting for c.80 clients who bring claims for unlawful sedation and sexual abuse whilst they were patients at Hill End Adolescent Unit. The Unit, an adolescent mental health facility in St Albans, was the subject of a 3-year inquiry by Hertfordshire Police’s Major Crime Unit. Led by James Counsell KC.
FXF v a national sporting association (ongoing)
Claim arising from sexual and emotional abuse of well-known professional athlete. Includes allegations of mishandling of complaints by the responsible national sporting institutions. Olinga appeared in the Court of Appeal in relation to an important procedural question in July 2023. Led by James Counsell KC.
Olinga has a wide ranging clinical negligence practice, in which he increasingly acts in cases involving life-changing injuries, including brain and spinal cord injuries. He has been ranked in the field of clinical negligence by Legal 500 since 2022, where he is described as an ‘impressive junior’.
He has experience of cases spanning a range of areas of clinical specialism. He advises, drafts pleadings and attends court hearings, including costs and case management and interim hearings.
Olinga is highly numerate and is adept at drafting complex schedules of loss. He serves as an editor of Facts & Figures.
NNH v an NHS Trust (ongoing)
Acting unled for an NHS Trust in defending a brachial plexus injury claim likely to be pleaded at in excess of £1 million. Case ongoing.
JJ v (1) NH (2) JT (3) PL (ongoing)
Acting for a claimant who developed a wound infection following spinal surgery and has been left with incomplete paraplegia. Led by Christopher Johnston KC. Case ongoing.
RG v an NHS Trust (ongoing)
Acting unled for the family in a Fatal Accident Act case involving a young boy, with diagnoses of Down’s syndrome and autism, who was admitted to hospital for oral surgery in response to a diagnosis of acute necrotising ulcerative gingivitis. Failure to properly monitor and escalate care. Case ongoing.
HB v an NHS Trust (2024)
Acting unled for the claimant in a case involving delayed diagnosis of testicular torsion resulting in infertility. Case settled in 2024 for 6 figure sum.
SO v an NHS Trust (2024)
Acting for the defendant in a Fatal Accident Act case involving allegations that the defendant negligently failed to carry out a liver biopsy and/or commence anti-viral therapy, leading the deceased to develop avoidable liver cancer. Claim pleaded at c£750,000. Case settled in 2024 shortly before trial.
NJ v an NHS Trust (2023)
Acting for the defendant in a case involving delayed diagnosis of a gastric hernia which developed following a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Causation in issue. Case settled in mediation in 2023 on favourable terms.
CF v an NHS Trust (2023)
Acting for the claimant in a claim involving delayed diagnosis of subglottic stenosis. Although there were no long-term symptoms, the Claimant had resigned from her job during the period of delay, leading to a very significant claim for loss of earnings and pension. Case settled in 2023 for significant 6 figure sum.
VY v an NHS Trust (2023)
Acting for the claimant in a claim arising from an undetected bowel perforation in the course of a subtotal hysterectomy, which resulted in sepsis and the need for a Hartmann’s procedure. Liability admitted. Losses in excess of £3 million. Led by Eliot Woolf KC. Case settled in 2023.
MW v an NHS Trust (2022)
Acted for a claimant in a consent case involving excision of the skin around a pilonidal sinus. The claimant contended he should have been offered the opportunity to have the surgery in a hospital setting. In the event, he developed neuropathic pain and skin splitting. Complex causation arguments based on Chester and Crossman. Case settled in 2022.
AKB v an NHS Trust (2022)
Acted for a child who swallowed a coin when she was 22 months old, which went undiagnosed for c.6 years. C developed difficulty swallowing, anxiety around eating and a head tilt. Case settled in 2022 with Court approval.
Combination Metal-on-Metal Hip Prosthesis Litigation (2021)
Acted for c.25 claimants who brought claims against a number of NHS Trusts and individual surgeons arising out of the practice of ‘mixing and matching’ total hip replacement component parts. Led by Christopher Gibson KC. Claims largely settled in 2020/2021.
AB v an NHS Trust (2020)
Birth injury case in which the claimant sustained hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. Liability compromised. Full liability value in excess of £8 million. Led by Christopher Gibson KC. Claim settled in 2020.
HF v an NHS Trust (2020)
Acted for an NHS Trust, unled, in a case pleaded at £500,000+ involving allegedly negligent hand surgery.
RM v an NHS Trust (2018)
Acted for the claimant in a wrongful birth case in which the claimant, who was HIV positive, fell pregnant whilst protected by a contraceptive implant following a failure by the defendant to advise of the risk of drug interactions. Claim settled in 2018.
OL v an NHS Trust (2018)
Acted for the claimant in a Fatal Accident Act case involving delayed diagnosis of cancer. Achieved significant settlement pre-issue in 2018.
In addition to domestic claims, Olinga has experience of cases with an international element or where injuries are sustained abroad. He has experience of Odenbreit claims and claims under the Package Travel Regulations.
KK & BK v TUI UK Ltd (ongoing)
Acting for a mother and daughter who became ill with severe symptoms of gastroenteritis during a holiday in Mexico. Claim under the 2018 Package Travel Regulations. Daughter developed post-infective IBS and suffered from persisting ongoing symptoms. Case ongoing.
JW & LW v JJ & GA (ongoing)
Acting for a husband and wife who were involved in a road traffic accident whilst visiting France. Liability admitted. Significant medical treatment costs and loss of earnings. Case ongoing.
AP v M (2021)
Acted for the claimant motorcyclist who was involved in a serious RTA which took place in Italy. Claimant required surgery and left with permanent nerve damage. Claim settled in 2021.
JB v HCA (2021)
Acted for the claimant who was injured whilst touring with friends in Germany on his motorcycle. Claimant suffered shoulder injury and undisplaced fracture of the coracoid process, together with a head injury. Claim settled in 2021.
JD v B (2019)
Acted for the claimant in a personal injury claim under the Package Travel Regulations involving an accident at a hotel in Barbados. Claim settled in 2019.
HW v GLBR (2018)
Acted for a child claimant who suffered a significant wrist injury whilst cycling in France as a result of a collision with a car. Claim settled in 2018 with Court approval.
Public Inquiries
COVID-19 Inquiry
In June 2023, Olinga was instructed to represent the interests of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) in the UK COVID-19 Inquiry.
Olinga’s work for the DHSC is focussed on Module 3, which examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare. It will examine the governmental and societal response to COVID-19 as well as examining the impact that the pandemic had on healthcare systems, patients and healthcare workers.
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse
Between 2017 and 2021, Olinga was instructed as one of a team of counsel working on the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, the largest ever public inquiry in the UK. Olinga was involved in three strands of the Inquiry.
Child Protection in Religious Organisations and Settings
Olinga assisted with advising the Chair and Panel since very start of the investigation, including in the determination of its scope. Olinga participated in two preliminary hearings and in the final hearings held in May and August 2020, in the course of which he examined various witnesses including a victim of child sexual abuse. The report was published in September 2021.
Nottinghamshire Councils
Olinga appeared in the three week public hearings in October 2018 and assisted in advising the Chair and Panel of the Inquiry in relation to the report. The report was published in July 2019.
Child Sexual Abuse in the Anglican Church
Olinga appeared in the three week public hearing in March 2018 examining the abuse of children within the Diocese of Chichester. He was responsible for overseeing the management of the Rule 10 process during the hearing. A report addressing two case studies within this investigation was published by the Inquiry in May 2019.
Inquests
Olinga has wide ranging experience in inquests and regularly represents families and NHS Trusts. He has particular experience of acting in cases in which there is a background claim for medical negligence. He regularly appears against much more senior counsel. Recent inquests include:
Olinga has a busy employment practice, which involves advising and representing claimants and respondents in Employment Tribunal hearings. He frequently undertakes multi day Tribunal hearings against more senior counsel. Olinga’s clients have included FTSE 100 companies, major banks as well as public sector organisations. Olinga also regularly acts for individuals and unions. He is one of a team of standing counsel to the British Association of Journalists.
Olinga’s experience with personal injury disputes assists him in cases where the actions or inactions of employers have resulted in injury to claimants – psychiatric or otherwise.
KO v a law firm & ors (ongoing)
Acting unled for a claimant in a high value dispute arising out of the termination of his employment at an elite US law firm. 7 figure claim for loss of earnings. Respondent represented by leading KC. Claim ongoing.
MB v a law firm (2023)
Successfully represented the claimant at trial in a complex and sensitive claim for sexual harassment against the managing partner of a law firm. Quantum compromised following successful outcome on liability.
A McD v Sellafield Ltd (2021)
Acting for the claimant in a high-profile whistleblowing claim brought by a human resources and equality consultant who exposed failures at Sellafield nuclear site to deal with a culture of bullying. Significant national publicity. Assisted James Arnold with preparations for the final hearing in July 2021.
GG v Jordan Andrews Ltd (2021)
Successfully represented a claimant who suffers from MS in a claim for disability discrimination including harassment. 4 day final hearing in August 2021.
AK v ISS Mediclean Ltd (2021)
Successfully represented the Respondent in a claim for constructive unfair dismissal. Claimant was dismissed after posting abusive and racist images in a work related WhatsApp group.
VM v Ocado Central Services Ltd (2020)
Acted in for the respondent in a 5-day trial involving claims of discrimination arising from disability, failure to make reasonable adjustments and unfair dismissal. All claims were dismissed.
MO v ISS Facility Services Ltd (2019)
Successfully represented the respondent in a 3-day final hearing involving a misconduct dismissal after the claimant used his mobile phone whilst on duty as a security guard. The claimant’s claim for constructive unfair dismissal was dismissed.
A v Corporate Officer of House of Lords (2019)
Advised on and pleaded a reasonable adjustments claim for a disabled employee of the House of Lords. Claim settled on favourable terms following judicial mediation.
Successfully represented Santander UK Plc in defending a claim for unfair dismissal on jurisdictional grounds.
DM v East Sussex NHS Trust (2018)
Represented the claimant in an unfair dismissal claim involving the dismissal of a porter by an NHS Trust following allegations that he had sexually assaulted a patient. Tribunal ordered reinstatement of the claimant and awarded a sum representing the payment that the claimant would have received but for his dismissal.
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