Robert Dickason specialises in clinical negligence and has particular experience in group litigation, Governmental and military healthcare, product liability and health and safety.
Appointed to the Attorney General’s B Panel in 2020 (C Panel 2015-2020), Robert regularly represents Government departments in the fields of clinical negligence, product liability, inquests, human rights and national security. Current cases include:
Robert has been consistently ranked as a Leading Junior in Clinical Negligence since 2016. He acts for patients, Trusts, private providers and individual clinicians alike in civil claims and at inquests. His practice spans the full clinical spectrum. He is instructed in the most complex liability and quantum disputes. He is good with clients and can be relied upon to turn papers around promptly. He has particular expertise on matters of causation (APIL Clinical Negligence textbook, APIL Personal Injury loose-leaf) and in clinical negligence cases involving members of the Armed Forces or public law aspects.
Robert also has an established health and safety practice, having appeared in several high profile and complex cases (Grenfell Tower, Lakanal House, Sterecycle manslaughter, Warwickshire Fire). He undertakes the full range of contentious and advisory work, representing public authorities, large conglomerates, small and medium businesses, and individual directors and employees.
Robert is consistently ranked as a leading junior in clinical negligence (Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners, 2016+)
He acts for patients, Trusts, private providers and individual clinicians alike in civil claims and at inquests. His practice spans the full clinical spectrum. He is instructed in the most complex liability and quantum disputes. He is good with clients and can be relied upon to turn papers around promptly. He has particular expertise on matters of causation and in clinical negligence cases involving members of the Armed Forces or public law aspects.
Reported clinical negligence cases include:
Bass v Ministry of Defence [2020] EWHC 36 (QB)
Defence of MoD against claims of inadequate chemoprophylaxis during deployment to Afghanistan.
Raggett v Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust & Ors [2016] EWHC 1604 (QB)
Avoidable lower limb amputation.
A v East Kent University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust [2015] EWHC 1038 (QB)
Wrongful birth complicated by chromosomal abnormality.
Robert is a member of the Attorney-General’s B Panel (C Panel, 2015-2020). He represents a range of Government departments in a variety of public and private law challenges, primarily in the healthcare field.
Current instructions include:
The Covid 19 Inquiry
Where he is instructed by the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
The Hormone Pregnancy Test Litigation
(concerning foetal abnormalities and miscarriage allegedly caused by hormonal pregnancy tests taken in the 1960s and 1970s) where he is instructed by the Department of Health and Social Care as the medical regulator at the time.
The Q Fever Litigation
Where he successfully defended the Ministry of Defence in relation to claims brough by soldiers deployed to Southern Afghanistan in relation to alleged failures of risk assessment and medical chemoprophylaxis (see e.g. Bass v MOD [2020] EWHC 36 (QB)).
Gulf War Illness
Representing the Ministry of Defence in relation to allegations of illness sustained as a result of Gulf deployment in the 1990s.
Robert has extensive experience of group litigation, and especially in the healthcare and product liability fields. He is ranked for Product Liability in Legal 500. His current cases include:
The Grenfell Tower Litigation
Where he is instructed on behalf of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in relation to >1000 claims brought on behalf of survivors of the fire, bereaved families and members of the emergency services.
The Hormone Pregnancy Test Litigation
(concerning foetal abnormalities and miscarriage allegedly caused by hormonal pregnancy tests taken in the 1960s and 1970s) where he is instructed by the Department of Health and Social Care as the medical regulator at the time.
The Q Fever Litigation
Where he successfully defended the Ministry of Defence in relation to claims brough by soldiers deployed to Southern Afghanistan in relation to alleged failures of risk assessment and medical chemoprophylaxis (see e.g. Bass v MOD [2020] EWHC 36 (QB).
Robert has an established health and safety practice, having appeared in several high profile and complex cases (Grenfell Tower, Lakanal House, Sterecycle manslaughter, Warwickshire Fire). He undertakes the full range of contentious and advisory work, representing public authorities, large conglomerates, small and medium businesses, and individual directors and employees. For example:
Grenfell Tower Fire
Instructed on behalf of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in relation to large-scale civil litigation.
Exercise Unified Response (Howell, deceased) (2019)
Representation at inquest of power station owners following death of paramedic during 2016 disaster simulation exercise conducted by pan-European emergency services at Littlebrook Power Station.
R v C&R Construction (2018)
Representation of construction company at inquest and in criminal proceedings following fatal fall from height.
R v Sterecycle (Rotherham) Ltd & ors (2014)
Defending employee manager in manslaughter prosecution following fatal explosion at waste processing facility.
R v Wilson [2013] EWCA Crim 1780; [2014] 1 Cr. App. R. 10
Representing director of hotel in appeal against conviction based on defective indictment.
Lakanal House (2013)
London tower block fire causing significant loss of life; represented company responsible for window installation at ‘super-inquest’ into fatalities.
Warwickshire Fire (2012)
Defence of Fire and Rescue Service in prosecution for manslaughter following death of firefighters in warehouse blaze.
Robert Dickason is regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) and holds a current practising certificate. If you are not satisfied with the service provided, please click here.
To find out more, contact Paul Barton on +44 (0)20 7427 4709 or Ben Fitzgerald on +44 (0)203 758 4759 for a confidential discussion.
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