Biography
I'm a partner based in the Medical Negligence team in London. I represent people and their families who have suffered injury, particularly major spinal cord injury and brain damage, due to medical accident or substandard treatment. I specialise in:
- Children who’ve suffered injuries at birth – with particular expertise in cerebral palsy caused by HIE, hyperglycemia and hyperbilirubinemia (kernicterus)
- Adult and child brain injuries
- Spinal cases – particularly spinal tumours and cauda equina syndrome
- Meningitis and encephalitis
- Delayed cancer diagnoses
- Fatal cases – with particular expertise in maternal death cases.
I joined Irwin Mitchell in 2014, having qualified as a solicitor in 2010. I initially trained to be a barrister and was called to the Bar of England and Wales in September 2008. I'm an APIL-accredited senior litigator and clinical negligence specialist, and I’m on the clinical negligence Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA) panel.
I've represented families at inquests where death is suspected to have occurred due to neglect. I’m also often invited to hospitals and national medical conferences to speak about improving patient safety and medical treatment.
What inspired you to get into law?
Being able to help injured people obtain the compensation they deserve to help them rebuild their lives and put in place much-needed rehabilitation.
What's the most rewarding aspect of your role?
Irwin Mitchell is one the leading medical negligence firms in the country. We offer the best possible service, making sure injured people get the rehabilitation and compensation they need and deserve.
What do you like about working at Irwin Mitchell?
Irwin Mitchell offers the full range of legal services under one roof. This includes support and rehabilitation coordinators, Court of Protection teams, education, public law, and business legal specialists. This means I can give my clients the very best legal advice, helping them throughout their legal claim and beyond.
What do you do away from the office?
I love to travel and experience new cultures. Being a father of three, I spend as much time at home with my daughters as I can.
Testimonials
"'Richard Kayser is extremely able. He has great forensic skills and is a safe pair of hands for even the most complex medical cases. He is bright and astute. He thinks through legal and medical problems. He leaves no stone unturned in pursuit of his clients’ cases." - Legal 500, 2024
"I am so glad I chose Irwin Mitchell to represent my son over a claim for a brain injury. It is a very arduous on going process due to the complex nature of the claim but Irwin Mitchell have completely understood the difficulties of the case and advised me accordingly. They have access to the best expert witnesses and this is essential for success of the claim.
"I have had dealings with quite a few firms of solicitors but what marks them out is not only their expertise but their extraordinary kindness and sensitivity. A big thank you to Richard Kayser, Libby Ferrier and their team and not forgetting the Backup and Rehabilitation Coordinator Sharon Williams who has provided invaluable support and advice throughout." - 5* Trustpilot review
"Throughout each step of my case, Richard provided invaluable advice and guidance to me whilst having my best interests in mind. He patiently explained his approach and was instrumental in collating the relevant pieces of information, witness statements and even helped obtain information about loss of earnings; which proved to be key. Despite the case taking some complex unexpected turns, Richard used those to my advantage to help present even stronger arguments in my favour.
"Remarkably, Richard played the role of a doctor in making a suggestion of a mental health diagnosis which proved to be correct and led me to seeking appropriate treatment. Having worked on the case over a period of time, Richard was thorough and diligent in presenting our case in a concise and irrefutable manner which meant the defendants were quick to accept of our claims.
"I found the round table meeting (Settlement meeting) very stressful; but Richard helped me by staying calm, composed, professional and navigated us through all of the challenges which ultimately led to a conclusion on that day, avoiding the need for going to Court. Overall, Richard has been the excellent consummate professional being considerate, patient and thorough in his work. I would recommend him to anyone looking to represent them for any medico-legal case; from the simple to the highly complex and demanding." - 5* Trustpilot review
"A very talented lawyer with sharply-honed powers of analysis. He rises to the challenge that difficult cases can pose. He thinks through problems and presents clients with straightforward advice." - Legal 500, 2023
“I can't recommend Richard Kayser and his team including Katie Ebbs, Louise Halbert and Ruth Haspray highly enough. It has been an extremely complicated legal case during an incredibly traumatic for our family, but Richard and his team have been sensitive, considerate and kind as well as legally rigorous and professional. Richard and his team have secured Danny a settlement which gives us the most important thing in the world - peace of mind when it comes to his financial future…
…Thanks to Richard and his team, Danny's future can be so much better than it would have been. We will always be grateful for what they have done for us.” - 5* Trustpilot review
"My solicitor, Richard Kayser, has been absolutely amazing. He is so knowledgeable in his field and is professional at all times. He regularly updated me as my case progressed and would even let me know if things were quiet and when I could expect to hear. He ensures that only the best in their respected fields are used to write reports and subsequently is able to provide reports of the highest quality. Irwin Mitchell are generally acknowledged to be the leaders in the field of clinical negligence and Richard Kayser is their best." - 5* Trustpilot review
"This was a very complex case but Richard really worked hard on the case along with his assistant Alex. We were not expecting anything but they have managed to get us huge compensation amount for medical negligence. Now I can say “no win no fees “ is really a good option to claim your compensation and also I would highly recommend Richard & his team" - 5* Trustpilot review
"This was an extremely traumatic time for me which was made easier by the compassionate and professional help provided by Richard Keyser and Katie Ebbs at Holborn. I was kept fully informed of and updated about proceedings and they were very persistent with the hospital regarding information/records which they needed. Any query of mine was dealt with quickly and efficiently. I would certainly recommend Irwin Mitchell." - 5* Trustpilot review
"I can’t thank Richard Kayser, Libby Ferrier and the rest of the team enough for how brilliantly they handled my wife’s medical negligence case. I instructed Irwin Mitchell LLP to investigate my wife’s care under Barts Health NHS Trust. Richard Kayser, the medical negligence expert, is very compassionate, helpful and a true professional.
Throughout the process he communicated very well, kept me up to date with everything, responded same day and I always felt reassured. He was very thorough and efficient in his approach and left no stone unturned in order to achieve the best possible outcome.
His knowledge and expertise are outstanding. I am satisfied with the settlement as my wife would continue to receive quality care and therapies she needs. I am incredibly grateful for the positive difference made in our lives. I would highly recommend Richard and his team to anyone who needs assistance in negligence case." - 5* Trustpilot review
"Brilliant service from start to finish. Richard Kayser and his team kept us all up to date and informed throughout the entire process of my son’s clinical negligence claim. We cannot thank Richard and the team enough for the hard work they put into making this very difficult case, result into a very successful out of court settlement. I would 100% recommend Irwin Mitchell to friends and family who require this type of service." 5* Trustpilot review
“From the very first meeting I was treated with kindness and respect. Richard Kayser is very knowledgeable about my condition, and despite some very personal aspects to my case I have always felt that my dignity was protected. What has been a very traumatic time has been made bearable by the quality of support throughout the last two and a half years.” Client
“Our admiration for him is enormous… Your role is so important. It allows us to move forward and have security, replacing fear and insecurity with hope. Today you made a hell of a difference to our lives.” Client
“I could not ask for a better well-placed, well-qualified and well-informed solicitor for the case… He is very dependable, trustworthy, diligent and hardworking.” Client
“He did a terrific job in challenging circumstances. Particularly, he thought through the implications of their separation in advance making sure that they were advised early so that they had ample time for them to reflect… not all solicitors would have been so farsighted.” Leading counsel
Significant cases
MRR v Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Achieved a seven-figure lump sum and six-figure yearly payment for a person suffering from severe cerebral palsy due to mismanagement of Group B streptococcus (GBS) following her birth. She will remain dependent on carers for all daily activities for the rest of her life. We agreed several large interim payments before the case finished to fund a care package, a case manager, and a move to more suitable accommodation.
CWM v King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Recovered a lump sum of £5.2 million, plus yearly payments, for a cerebral palsy sufferer with severe developmental delay due to mismanagement of their mother's labour.
DC v Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
Awarded £1.9m for a brain-injured adult who suffered life-changing injuries after staff failed to monitor their blood levels following major brain surgery. Test results showed they were dangerously over-coagulated, but staff did nothing for over two hours – and when they did, it wasn’t enough. The money funded suitable accommodation and a care package, and to allow him to continue with his rehabilitation.
JL v Medway NHS Foundation Trust
Recovered over £2.9m for a brain-injured adult who suffered life-changing injuries as a result of hyponatremia and hypokalemia following mismanagement of her sodium levels.
RH v Barts Health NHS Trust
Awarded £4.8m for a spinal-injured client who suffered paralysis due to failure to diagnose and treat a spinal tumour, even though the claim period had ended.
MS v Dr…
Recovered £1.8m for a client who suffered severe bowel incontinence following a failure to recognise and refer symptoms of cauda equina syndrome. Due to her injuries, she had to give up her career and needed adapted accommodation, ongoing care and assistance.
XX v Brighton & Sussex University Hospital NHS Trust
Recovered £800,000 for someone with a severe cauda equina injury that A&E staff missed on two occasions. Because of the delay in treatment, she suffered dysaesthetic/causalgic leg pain and dysfunction with her bladder and bowels.
AB (Deceased) v Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Represented the family at the inquest into the death of AB after the birth of her daughter. The coroner found two findings of neglect in the care that she received. The settlement was for £735,000.
CE v various GPs
Recovered £215,000 for a father of three who was failed by his GPs. The GPs didn’t refer him for further investigation which would have diagnosed the cancer, despite him visiting the surgery a number of times. He developed secondary metastasis due to the delay, and his condition was terminal.
CD v unspecified
Secured £275,000 for a client given a spinal anaesthetic directly into her spinal cord while already under a general anaesthetic. This left her with permanent nerve damage and unable to return to full-time work.
MP (Deceased) v Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
Secured £125,000 for the family of the deceased, who died after a severe allergic reaction to penicillin given during surgery. This led to full internal review of Trust Policy for monitoring patients with known allergies.
