Kate is a Clinical Negligence Solicitor with over a decade of civil litigation experience.

Having joined the business in 2016 as a Solicitor/Specialist Litigator in the Medical Negligence Department, she was quickly recognised, both internally and externally, for her solid performance, high technical skills in civil litigation and excellent customer care. Thereafter, she joined Serious Injury Clinical Negligence Team specialising in high value amputation cases, brain and spinal injuries, but also ophthalmic, paediatric, colorectal, neurological and neurosurgical matters; orthopaedic, obstetrics and gynaecological, and complex fatal incidents.

Kate’s Team is a designated Team to deal with amputation cases. She has close affiliation with the Amputation Foundation and enjoys charitable work and fundraising. Kate is also involved in the Amputation Campaign, working closely with a panel of specialists in the field on a bespoke prosthesis provision and support for an individual, in order to raise wider awareness.

Kate is a multiple nominee for the Lawyer of the Year Award.

In addition, she was ranked in the Legal 500 as one of only three Medical Negligence Lawyers in the North West in the Rising Star category in 2019 and retained her status since.

Client feedback

“My case handler Kate was brilliant! I could not be happier with how hard she and others from Fletchers fought for me to have the best outcome. Although I know I have hard days ahead I can finally move on with my life and make plans. Thank you. Oh, I honestly can’t thank you and the whole team enough! You’ve been absolutely amazing! I’ll miss our catch ups ”

“The way my case has been handled and the way I have been treated deserve a higher score than 10/10.”

“I wanted to say a big Thank You for everything you have done for me. I wanted to let you know that I was happy with you as my solicitor.  I just wanted to let you know that I appreciated all our talks. You really did help me in some very dark times. I’ll always think of you as my saviour”

“My solicitor Kate has been excellent and has kept me informed of the progress of my case at all times. I feel very happy with Kate and the empathic way she has dealt with me.”

“If Kate had got this case from the start, would have been over a long time ago, she has been fantastic”

“I would like to thank you and all the team at Fletchers for the way that you have dealt with my claim and the empathy shown. I cannot speak highly enough if the service I received. My case was dealt with in an efficient way from all members of the team. A special thank you to Kate for her quick responses to queries and her empathy.”

“Once again thank you for all your hard work settling my claim. Fantastic service. I was kept fully up to date with my case at all times whether it was by phone or email. Will definitely recommend.”

“ If I was able to meet each and everyone of the team, who cared and in many ways ‘protected’ me, I would hug them. They became ‘friends and family’. Thank you so very much”

“Thank you for your email you put a smile on my face this is great news. Thank you for all your help and hard work I understand it has been a hard job and I appreciate everything that you have done and being understanding in my case. You have been helpful and kept me updated in the process and progress with this matter”

Notable Cases

Post 4th degree tear incontinence case of CJ -v- Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust (2022) [£800,000.00]

Settled liability 65/35 for a minor EB -v- Dr Marshall (2022)

LB v ROYAL FREE LONDON NHS FOUNDATION TRUST (2021)

EDWARDS  v DR SPILL (2020) [£826,000]

RA -v  KING’S COLLEGE HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST (2020) [£400,000]

Kouakou -v Dr Agarwal (2020) [£700,000.00]

BRITTAN v UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS OF LEICESTER NHS TRUST (2019)

FG v BOLTON NHS FOUNDATION TRUST (2019)

MORGANS v SOUTHPORT AND ORMSKIRK HOSPITAL NHS TRUST (2019)

KNJB v AIREDALE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST (2018)

SANDBACH v EAST CHESHIRE NHS TRUST (2019)

S v EAST KENT HOSPITALS UNIVERSITY NHS FOUNDATION TRUST (2019)

SMITH v SHERWOOD FOREST HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST (2018)

ESSERY v UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS OF LEICESTER NHS TRUST (2018)

BEECROFT v ROYAL BERKSHIRE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST (2018)

SAMINA ZAIDI v LEWISHAM AND GREENWICH NHS TRUST (2018)

Published Cases

LB v ROYAL FREE LONDON NHS FOUNDATION TRUST (2021)

The claimant, a sixty-three-year-old woman, received £250,000 total damages after her cervical cancer remained undiagnosed and untreated for two years when a cervical smear in 2015 was incorrectly reported as normal. As a result the claimant’s tumour became surgically inoperable and she needed chemoradiation treatment which would otherwise have been avoided. That treatment led to ongoing bowel issues, severe discomfort and had a limiting effect on her mobility, her general functioning and activities.

EDWARDS  v DR SPILL (2020) [£826,000]

The claimant, a 48-year-old woman, received £826,015 total damages for the delay in referral for further investigation of her eyes in June 2014. She underwent several unsuccessful eye operations and suffered an overall reduction in her vision from 15% to 80%.

RA -v  KING’S COLLEGE HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST (2020) [£400,000]

The claimant, a fifty-one-year-old woman, received £400,000 total damages following the continued prescribing of high dose steroid medication for a period of two years following an erroneous diagnosis of Crohn’s disease. The long-term consequences included a prolonged period of immune and adrenal suppression and development of Iatrogenic Cushing’s Syndrome and secondary Adrenal Insufficiency, which was likely to be permanent.

Kouakou -v Dr Agarwal (2020) [£700,000.00]

The claimant, a 53-year-old man, received £700,000 total damages for the injuries to his left eye he sustained as a result of the delay in the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma in July 2015. He suffered optic nerve damage to the left eye and lost 80-90% of the left eye visual field, with a poor long-term visual prognosis.

SINCLAIR v CITY HOSPITALS SUNDERLAND NHS FOUNDATION TRUST (2020) [ £350,000]

The claimant, a 27-year-old old woman, received £350,000 total damages for the injuries she sustained following negligent treatment for a closed comminuted fracture of the radial head in June and July 2015, although causation and injury were denied. She was left with a stiff elbow with 75 degrees fixed flexion deformity, requiring total elbow replacement within 10 years and repeated revision surgery thereafter and was unable to carry out personal care requiring bi-manual function.

MS v SHERWOOD FOREST HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST (2020)

The claimant, a 41-year-old man, received £140,000 total damages for the physical and psychological injuries that he sustained following a failure to diagnose septic arthritis in his knee in May 2015 although liability was denied. He suffered damage to the articular cartilage, post-traumatic stress disorder and severe adjustment disorder, had limited mobility and would require arthroplasty before the age of 50.

Jennifer is a Solicitor who specialises in Medical Negligence. Jennifer has worked in Medical Negligence across the North of England and joined the Manchester office in 2018. Jennifer has a recognition of the suffering that customers have already been through and the support that they may need through their claim and prides herself on giving the very best customer service.  Jennifer works in team 14 and has a wide range of experience, particularly in delayed diagnosis of cancer claims, shoulder and eye injuries.

Outside of the office Jennifer is a Trustee of Warrington Youth Rowing, a charity which currently works with children receiving pupil premium in over 20 schools across Cheshire and Merseyside. The charity aims to help the participants to develop a wide range of life skills such as time keeping, team work and commitment as well as improving their self-confidence.

Highlights of recently settled cases

C v Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board – 2020 – £90,000.00 for a 76 year old who suffered with a gastric ulcer which was not monitored. They lost the opportunity for an early diagnosis of gastric cancer which would have been curative and were only able to receive palliative chemotherapy. Their life expectancy was reduced by five years.

AO (deceased) v Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust -2020 – £90,000.00 for a 77 year old who suffered a deterioration of their cardiac function when they were lost to cardiac follow up. Their deterioration during this time lead to their premature death in 2018.

H v United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust -2021 – £300,000.00 for a 62 year old who suffered negligent treatment leaving them with only 5% vision in their left eye which caused depression and their premature retirement from their job as a carer.

W v St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust -2022 – £137,000.00 for a 47 year old for the poor management of their skin cancer which metastasised. Their life expectancy was estimated to be less than 12 months beyond settlement.

R v Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board -2022 – £34,000.00 for a 84 year old who suffered subsidence of their total hip replacement and a grade 3 pressure sore which continued to cause pain at settlement. Causation was disputed

Client Feedback

“Jennifer was Fantastic, she deserves a medal!

“From beginning to end if I ever needed to call her, she was there.  Sometimes I called her and I got upset about losing my husband- she understood and was so lovely to me.  I’ve already recommended Fletchers to my friends.  Thank you so much”

“My agent Jennifer has been a godsend!! She has been the main person that I have had contact with, she has been reassuring, understanding and compassionate. She has answered all my questions and she asked me questions I didn’t even think of! I’ve been very happy with the service so far as my case is ongoing. Jennifer is a credit to your company, thank you”.

“Thank you for everything you have done. You have been nothing but outstanding and a credit to the practice! Thank you once again”.  

“The level of communication has been excellent. I have been dealing with Jennifer Argent who has been phenomenal. I would highly recommend Fletchers”.

“Jennifer has been extremely patient with me. Despite the long and stressful nature of this case, she’s always there to keep me up-to-date and answer any questions I have. Outstanding”

“Jennifer has been lovely and amazing and explain everything in a way that was easy for me to understand”

“My case handler Jennifer Argent has been fantastic throughout, my case has not been simple and has ended up being quite drawn out but Jennifer worked diligently and got the best outcome.”

“Made me feel at ease at all times especially when listening to my story of what happened and always feel the best is being done. Thank you very much, would highly recommend

“Jennifer is a first class solicitor all round”

“Jennifer Argent was amazing, she really connected with how I felt, what happened and made me feel reassured all the way through. She kept me fully updated with where we were and what happens next. She did an amazing job and I will always ben thankful for all the help and work that was put in. I would definitely recommend should anyone need to consult in them and a massive thanks again to all involved”

Sophie is a Litigation Executive with 8 years medical negligence experience. She acts on behalf of clients and runs a complex, varied caseload of claims worth over £100,000. Sophie handles a wide range of claims including Obstetrics / Gynaecology claims, Cancer claims, Orthopaedic claims, surgical claims, delay in diagnosis claims etc.

She is dedicated to achieving the best outcome for her clients, getting the answers that they deserve and supporting them throughout their claim. It is important to her to build a relationship of trust with her clients, to ensure that they feel listened to and understood, and to hold their hand every step of the way.

Notable Settled cases

SR -v- Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Sophie recently settled this claim for £275,000. This claim related to a negligently performed knee replacement surgery which resulted in her client requiring a revision knee replacement and suffer ongoing pain, suffering, loss of amenity, reduced function and reduced mobility. Her client had to take early retirement from her role as a medical secretary within the NHS as a result of the negligence. It is likely that the client will require a further revision knee replacement in the future as a result of the Defendant’s negligence.

AC -v- St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

She recently settled this claim for £120,000. This claim related to a delay in diagnosing and treating her client’s meniscus tear, which he sustained whilst playing football. By the time the client’s meniscus tear was diagnosed and operated on, the meniscus was no longer repairable, and the only option was to undergo a meniscectomy. Sophie’s client is likely to have to undergo meniscal allograft surgery in the future as a result of the negligence. The client was 16 at the time of the injury / negligence, he was an avid football player and an aspiring Police officer. As a result of the negligence, her client was no longer able to play football and was unable to join the Police force. He therefore suffered a loss of earnings and loss of Police pension.

BS -v- University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust

Sophie settled this claim for £140,000. This claim related to a perforation of her client’s bowel and the failure to identify and repair the perforation at the time of the laparotomy, as well as the negligent removal of a section of the client’s colon. As a result of the negligence, they underwent 6 further, avoidable surgical procedures, an avoidable permanent stoma, an avoidable colectomy and formation of an end ileostomy, an avoidable failed abdominal wall, an avoidable open rectal stump, the avoidable need for VAC therapy, avoidable scarring, an avoidable extended hospital admission (including admission to ITU) and the avoidable need for rehabilitation.

LL -v- Dr Endicott

She settled this claim for £57,000. This claim related to inadequate investigation, treatment and management of her client’s pre-existing periodontal disease and negligent ill-fitting bridgework. These failures caused peri-implant disease (an inflammatory condition affecting the gums), chronic infection and bone loss, which led toto the avoidable removal of 4 implant fixtures, which if adequately managed, were likely to have lasted for the remainder of her lifetime. As a result of the negligence, Sophie’s client experienced pain, suffering and loss of amenity and now requires extensive remedial dental treatment, which will result in further pain and suffering. The treatment will also involve bone grafting and an implant-supported maxillary overdenture.

SC -v- Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

Sophie settled this claim for £47,500. This claim related to a failure to perform appropriate observations following her client’s coronary angiogram. Sophie’s client suffered compartment syndrome and an avoidable fasciotomy. He underwent an avoidable blood transfusion, two further avoidable procedures including a skin graft, which was taken from my client’s right thigh.  Her client was left with a significantly disfiguring scar on his forearm. This claim was fully denied.

Client feedback

“My case handler Sophie has provided me with exceptional service and has handled my case with a great deal of compassion and sensitivity. From the beginning until now, she has maintained a clear path for communication and has updated me every step of the way, which for me as a client has been reassuring. She has always approached me in a kind and professional manor, explaining thoroughly details that I may not understand. With this case has brought a level of discomfort however Sophie has reduced this and made it easier to go through, therefore I would recommend Fletchers Solicitors to anyone who has gone through similar experience to myself.”

“Our whole experience with Fletchers Solicitors has been excellent. Sophie has been absolutely amazing from beginning to end. Her work on our case has been faultless. She kept us updated at every stage. If we didn’t understand anything she broke it down for us and was always open to questions through email or phone. She has always been very helpful and professional and always had our best interests at heart. We cannot thank her enough for her efforts. Our case has now concluded successfully and we are happy with the outcome. We have absolutely no doubts about recommending this team to anyone and thank Fletchers Solicitors for their help and support.”

“[A previous legal] experience leads me to explain how refreshing it was when you (Sophie) handled my claim. When I first contacted Fletchers, I didn’t really hold out much hope. Like a lot of people, I thought it was just luck of the draw thing, I’d be just a number, going from case handler to case handler. When I first spoke to Sophie, I felt that she was completely behind me one 100%. The patience she showed me during every stage was wonderful. I always felt in safe hands, Sophie is highly knowledgeable and competent.  She seemed to really care and were so approachable.”

“I contacted Fletchers Group feeling helpless! I’d had 4 dental implants on a full denture fitted, only to discover that all 4 implants had become infected, and likely had been infected for some time. They had to be removed! I was fitted with a temporary set of dentures ” to just answer the front door” as the dentist said. I didn’t receive any help from the dentist, they were very sorry but…just try one of those No win, No fee places! That was it! I didn’t really believe that they’d help, thought it was a money-making scheme. So, I contacted Fletchers, and I thank my lucky stars every day that I did. Sophie McGarry gave me hope and restored my faith in fairness. She took my hand and guided me through what was a legal maze to me, with kindness, support and a wealth of knowledge. I always felt in safe hands and Sophie, she was so supportive and approachable, especially through the tougher times. I had regular updates on exactly what was happening throughout the claim. Sophie McGarry won the claim on my behalf, and I can’t thank her enough. Fletchers Group are truly outstanding in my opinion. Thank you all so much. It’s a true account of an exceptional young lady, in my opinion.”

“Fletchers have done an incredible job representing me and got the very best outcome in the circumstances. Sophie was approachable, understanding, empathetic and reliable. Her knowledge and experience was evident throughout the process and I always felt in very safe hands. Thank you for your hard work and support, I would recommend Fletchers to anyone in a similar situation to me”.

Client Feedback

“Sophie was outstanding from start to finish and a real credit to the company can’t speak more highly of her.”

“Sophie has been absolutely exceptional in everything that she has done on my case so far. Brilliant communication”.

“Sophie has been absolutely fantastic and is an absolute asset to Fletchers. Thank you!”

“Since our case has been passed to Sophie, I cannot fault the service we have received. Sophie is committed to getting the best possible outcome for us and has kept us well informed at every stage”.

Sinead joined Patient Claim Line in October 2015, having qualified as a solicitor in April 2010. Sinead leads a team of six, placing a huge emphasis on building strong relationships both with her colleagues and her customers.