Biography
I am a Senior Associate in the Medical Negligence team in London, representing people who've been injured due to a medical accident, and their families. I manage my own varied caseload of complex high-value claims but have a specialist interest in:
- Birth injury: children who have suffered injuries at birth, with particular expertise in cerebral palsy caused by HIE, hyperglycemia and hyperbilirubinemia (kernicterus)
- Wrongful birth: Wrongful birth is the term used by the courts to describe a claim that arises out of the birth of a child who wouldn't have been born without negligent treatment e.g. failure to detect an abnormality during the antenatal period. A wrongful birth claim is generally taken by the parents.
I also have experience in oncology, meningitis, cardiology, fatal cases, gynaecological and general surgery.
I understand that the clinical negligence procedure can seem daunting and complex, so I always make sure that my clients understand every step of the process as their claim progresses.
I qualified as a solicitor in 2006, joining Irwin Mitchell in September 2009. I studied Law in Sheffield and completed my postgraduate studies at Inns of Court School of Law in London.
I worked as a paralegal dealing with personal injury claims, before completing two years training contract with Russell-Cooke Solicitors in London, where I gained extensive experience in the clinical negligence department. I am an APIL - Accredited Senior Litigator.
I am a Trustee for Bobath, charity dedicated to supporting children, adults and their families living with cerebral palsy and similar neurological conditions.
What Is The Most Rewarding Aspect Of Your Role?
Irwin Mitchell is one of the leading medical negligence firms in the country. To be able to work with an extensive team with vast experience means we can offer our clients the best possible service. This ensures our clients receive the rehabilitation they need and the compensation they deserve. It is extremely rewarding to see the difference we can make to every client’s life.
What Do You Like About Working At Irwin Mitchell?
Irwin Mitchell can offer its clients the full range of legal services, including access to a support and rehabilitation coordinator, court of protection team, assistance with education and public law issues, employment, family, trusts, and access to a full business legal service team. This means I can give my clients the very best legal advice throughout their legal claim and beyond.
Many of my clients need support from our court of protection and public law teams who are able to advise on Deputyships and education issues such as EHCPs.
What Do You Do Away From The Office?
Away from the office, I am a keen netball player and play for Irwin Mitchell in the London Legal and Financial League. I also love to travel and experience new cultures.
Testimonials
"Kate and her team have been very supportive to my husband I throughout our case. They have have been patient in dealing with our queries and have made us feel comfortable whilst maintaining sensitivity throughout the whole journey. We couldn’t have asked for a better team to assist us." - 5* Trustpilot review
"We can truly say that, although it was a very hard case, it was handled with outstanding professionalism and dedication by our solicitor Kate Major. If anybody had to go through this tough situation in their life I would most definitely recommend Irwin Mitchell, but specifically Kate, because not only did she demonstrate herself to be an outstanding and experienced solicitor, she dealt with us and our case in the most respectful and compassionate way." - 5* Trustpilot review
"My lawyer, Kate Major, her team and my barrister Oliver could not have been better. Together, they made what was arguably one of the toughest periods of my life more bearable with their consistent understanding and kindness towards my situation. Should you find yourself in the unfortunate predicament of having to hire a litigation lawyer, I could not recommend Kate and Irwin Mitchell more. They were completely non-judgmental, really listened and executed the case in a totally professional manner. They went above and beyond and I can't thank them enough."- 5* Trustpilot review
"My representative at Irwin Mitchell was Ms. Kate Major. She was running our case carefully with very considerable time effort without wasting time to get the bottom of it. She was acting Very professionally and due care in order to execute her duty and responsibility in a professional manner. We were extremely happy with being represented by Ms. Major, was simply a fine solicitor." - 5* Trustpilot review
"Kate Major has been our solicitor at Irwin Mitchell and she has been brilliant. She came to our home and saw us at the start and has been great ever since. Communication has been thorough and professional. She delivered the verdict we wanted. Would highly recommend Kate & Irwin Mitchell" - 5* Trustpilot review
"I highly recommend the services of Kate Major and Rachel Osborne. Kate advised us throughout our claim and has been a steadfast support from start to finish. Kate and Rachel easily exceeded my expectations. Kate is a very capable and professional lawyer who also has that rare quality of being able to effortlessly interact with everyone from counsel to client and put everyone at ease.
Furthermore, she has amassed a great deal of experience in her field which is invaluable to clients looking for guidance and reassurance which Kate freely provides. I was continually touched by her ability to switch from legal adviser to kind and supportive listener as we both navigated the complexity of the legal case and the emotions that surround the reality of our family's lived experience.
Kate's empathy shines through all of her legal dealings and this garners her the trust and respect of her clients. Kate was ably assisted throughout our case by Rachel who demonstrates an ability beyond her years of qualification. Rachel has a notable skill at translating complex legal and practical issues into easily understood emails and letters which succinctly get to the crux of the matter.
Again, this is a skill that is much-prized by clients. We are very grateful to both Kate and Rachel for all of their hard work, support and friendship to ensure that we, as a team, reached settlement on our case. I cannot recommend their services highly enough." -5* Trustpilot review
"The support we have received throughout our entire claim process has been amazing from the incredible Jane Weakley to Kate Major. The team have been beyond amazing and a credit to Irwin Mitchell. I will always be thankful for there guidance expertise and taking on our case" - Client
Significant Cases
- England and Wales High Court (King's Bench Division) Decisions
- ABC v The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust - £24m compensation for a client who suffered a neonatal brain injury and now lives with cerebral palsy, significant learning difficulties, and other impairments
- DEF v Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Trust - £9.2m compensation on behalf of a child after sustaining a brain injury as a result of a failed attempt to remove a tube following a premature birth at 26 weeks. As a result of the failed removal, our client was left with asymmetric four-limb cerebral palsy, significant learning difficulties, epilepsy, visual impairment, severe behavioural problems, severe sleep disturbance and associated dependency.
- XX v Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust - Recovered £5m for a client following a failure to appropriately manage the delivery of the Claimant. Leaving our client severely disabled and needing life-long round-the-clock care.
- XYZ v Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust - Awarded £8m sum following a clients brain injury. The client was left with cerebral palsy, severe and profound visual impairment, severe learning difficulties, epilepsy, four limb motor disorder and associated dependency.
- AB AND CD V Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust - Awarded £8m for a wrongful birth claim following the birth of the clients child. If our clients child first anomaly scan had been correctly performed, fetal abnormalities would have been spotted much earlier.
- MNO v Brighton and Sussex University Hospital NHS Trust - Awarded a capitalised sum of just over £24m for child injured at birth. There was a delay in the identifying a deterioration in fetal condition causing a brain injury hours before the Claimant’s birth.
- PQR (Deceased) v Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust - Awarded £325,000 following a fatal claim this came about from the delay in the diagnosis and treatment of a brain tumour.
- WX and YZ v King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust - Recovered seven figure settlement in a wrongful birth claim where the Claimants’ child was diagnosed with a genetic condition otherwise known as DiGeorge syndrome.
- AB v Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust - Awarded seven figure sum for an adult who sustained brain damage as a result of a delay in diagnosis and treatment of meningitis. The Claimant has been left with significant neurological disability.
- AB v Barts Health NHS Trust - Recovered £1.5 million in a fatal accident claim brought by a widow after the sudden cardiac death of her husband. He should have had an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (“ICD”) implanted that would have saved his life.
- FGH v Mid Essex Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Recovered £14.1 million on behalf of a child who sustained a brain injury at birth. The case concerned the ante-natal care offered to the Claimant’s mother during her pregnancy and a failure to plot symphysis-fundal height measurements in contravention of prevailing hospital standards and RCOG guidance. As a consequence, the Claimant’s mother was not provided with an opportunity to deliver by elective caesarean section in order to minimise the risks associated with a big baby. A further claim was made which alleged material failings in the conduct of the shoulder dystocia resulting in hypoxic injury. The Claimant has been left with bilateral dystonic cerebral palsy, difficulty with swallowing and is fed by gastrostomy. These disabilities have proved permanent and he has gone on to show global developmental delay.
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PQR and STU v London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust
Recovered £11,000,000 damages arising out of a wrongful birth in relation to an admitted failure to counsel the Claimants about the presence of a pre-natal CMV infection. The Claimants’ child has microcephaly; asymmetric spastic quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy (GMCFS level 4/5); severe long-term neurological disabilities and impairment resulting in developmental delay and learning disabilities; epilepsy; unilateral left-sided profound sensorineural hearing loss; visual impairment and nystagmus; gastroesophageal reflux; premature adrenarche and is fed by PEJ tube.
