Richard Shadwick (Partner)
Richard is a Partner in the Medical Negligence and Personal Injury practice and has been recognised within the field of clinical/medical negligence within the Chambers UK and Legal 500 directories. He is an individually ranked lawyer for clinical negligence within Chambers UK, A Client’s Guide to the UK Legal Profession.
Richard has a varied caseload with an emphasis on spinal, brain and catastrophic injuries. He is experienced in all aspects of spinal injury claims including, injuries arising from trauma, orthopaedic and neurosurgical procedures, congenital abnormalities of the spine and failure to diagnosis Cauda Equina Syndrome. His extensive experience in brain injury cases includes birth and neonatal injury claims, including cerebral palsy, and acquired brain injury.
Richard acts for individuals who have sustained injuries as a result of medical treatment whether provided by the NHS (within a hospital or GP setting), or in the private healthcare sector.
Noted for his tenacious approach, Richard gets to grips with complex medicine to find the crux of a case. He gives straightforward and well-reasoned advice. His ability to explain complex legal issues in clear, concise language is regularly noted by clients. He has an excellent track record of securing favourable settlements for clients.
During the course of his career, Richard has been a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL). He is a past secretary of the Damages Special Interest Group and past co-ordinator for the Spinal Injury Group. He blogs and Tweets about his subject and has had articles and opinion pieces published in the Personal Injury Law Journal, trade magazines and the national press, including The Times. Richard is a regular attendee at AvMA (Action against Medical Accidents) conferences. He is known as a fantastic technical lawyer who is always up to date with legal developments relevant to medical negligence.
Notable cases
Richard has achieved numerous out of Court and Court approved settlements for clients throughout his career. His notable settlements are:
- Out of Court settlement in a wrongful birth claim arising from the failure to diagnose antenatally that the Claimants’ unborn child was suffering from Aicardi syndrome, a rare presumed genetic disorder characterised by underdeveloped tissue connecting the left and right side of the brain, presence of epilepsy and eye abnormalities
- Court approved settlement for a 6 year old who sustained hypoxic ischaemic injury following a chronic partial and near total hypoxic insult shortly before and during her birth. The Claimant presented with quadriplegic cerebral palsy, profound microcephaly, learning difficulties and cerebral visual impairment
- Court approved settlement for an 11 year old who sustained hypoxic injury and suffered a perinatal stroke around the time of his birth resulting in dyskinetic quadriplegic cerebral palsy with a superimposed right hemiparesis
- Court approved settlement for a 9 year old boy who suffered profound asphyxiation following delays around the time of his birth resulting in dyskinetic cerebral palsy
- Court approved settlement for an 8 year old boy arising from severe brain injury sustained during his neonatal period following the failure to diagnose and treat hypoglycemia in a timely fashion;
- Out of Court settlement for a female in her 50s arising from spinal cord injury sustained during the administration of a spinal anaesthetic injection prior to a surgical procedure;
- Out of Court settlement for a female in her 70s following the failure to diagnose an unstable fracture at the level of her T10 vertebra resulting in paraplegia;
- Out of Court settlement for a 66 year old man who underwent an above the knee amputation following the failure to treat a peri-operative infection acquired during knee replacement surgery;
- Out of Court settlement for a female in her 20s following spinal cord injury sustained during scoliosis correction surgery resulting in tetraplegia;
- Court approved settlement for an 18 year old female who sustained brain injury arising from the failure to treat a respiratory infection resulting in quadriplegic dyskinetic cerebral palsy;
- Out of Court settlement for a male in his 30s following the failure to diagnose Cauda Equina Syndrome resulting in mild urological symptoms, and
- Out of Court settlement for a male in his 50s following the failure to diagnose Cauda Equina Syndrome resulting in permanent neurological impairment in respect of mobility, incontinence and neuropathic pain.
Professional Memberships and Societies
- The Law Society
- Accredited Member of the AvMA (Action against Medical Accidents) Specialist Clinical Negligence Panel
- Accredited Member of the Law Society’s specialist clinical negligence panel
- Spinal Injuries Association, Gold Corporate Member
- APIL (Association of Personal Injury Lawyers)