Caroline Lody
Year of call
2009
Instructing Caroline Lody
For more information please contact our clerks by calling +44 (0)20 7242 3555.
Caroline Lody is a specialist clinical negligence, personal injury, historic abuse and product liability barrister.
She also acts in commercial matters and is an experienced advocate in the employment tribunal. She regularly deals with cases of significant value and complexity and is a robust advocate with extensive court experience.
Caroline is particularly experienced in dealing with group and multi-party litigation and enjoys working on large-scale litigation as part of a team. She was recently instructed on the Brazilian, Fundão Dam litigation on behalf of a group of over 250,000 claimants seeking damages of around £5 billion. Within the area of product liability she represented claimants in the PIP breast implant litigation, DePuy metal-on-metal hips litigation and was instructed as a junior in the Corin metal-on-metal hips litigation. She is also currently instructed as a junior on the Grenfell Inquiry.
Caroline received her honours degree in law at Corpus Christi College, Oxford in 2007 after which she was awarded a Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholarship which enabled her to pursue an LLM in international business and finance law at the University of Hong Kong. Before starting pupillage she worked as a Research Assistant in the Commercial and Common Law Team at the Law Commission. She received both a Queen Mother Scholarship from Middle Temple and a Pegasus Scholarship.
Legal Expertise
Clinical Negligence
Clinical Negligence
Caroline is an experienced clinical negligence practitioner, acting predominantly for claimants. She regularly deals with cases of significant value and has been instructed in a wide variety of matters across all areas of healthcare, including negligent GP, nursing, hospital, surgical and psychiatric care. She often appears at Coroner’s Inquests in cases involving alleged fault by treating clinicians and hospital trusts. In addition, she has acquired considerable advocacy experience in costs budgeting hearings.
Recent instructions include an unnecessary excisional biopsy of the breast which caused extensive deformity; an extravasation injury which led to the patient’s death; delayed diagnosis of bladder cancer; perforations during sphincterotomy and cholecystectomy surgery; misdiagnosed scaphoid fractures; inappropriately administered anaesthetic leading to awareness; gynaecological failings; as well as cases of negligently performed plastic surgery (septoplasty; facelift, blepharoplasty).
Caroline also has a thriving product liability practice with a particular interest in cases involving defective medical products and pharmaceutical drugs.
Personal Injury
Personal Injury
Caroline has an extensive personal injury practice and represents Claimants and Defendants in a broad range of multi-track matters, including workplace accidents, fatal accidents, RTAs, occupiers’ liability, and highways claims.
She acts for defendants in cases involving historical sexual abuse and “failure to remove” cases. She is also frequently instructed by public bodies to defend actions brought under the Human Rights Act and Equality Act, as well as in negligence. Caroline often appears at Coroner’s Inquests in cases involving alleged fault by treating clinicians, hospital trusts, local authorities, and the police.
Caroline is particularly experienced in dealing with group litigation and enjoys working on large-scale litigation. She was recently instructed on the Brazilian, Fundão Dam litigation on behalf of a group of over 250,000 claimants seeking damages of around £5 billion. She is also instructed as a junior on the Grenfell Inquiry.
Caroline appears in court very regularly and has substantial trial experience, as well as appearing regularly in interim applications on the fast track and multi track. Notably, Caroline is very experienced in in representing parties at costs budgeting hearings. She has a heavy paperwork practice, providing written advice and settling pleadings. Caroline regularly accepts instructions on a CFA basis.
Product Liability
Product Liability
Caroline has a keen interest in product liability litigation and gained substantial experience in this area during her pupillage with Hugh Preston QC.
Caroline is particularly interested in cases involving defective medical products and pharmaceutical drugs and is experienced in dealing with group and multi-party litigation. She was part of a team involved in multi-jurisdictional litigation concerning defective PIP breast implants, represented claimants in the DePuy metal-on-metal hip litigation, and was instructed as a junior in the Corin metal-on-metal hip litigation.
Caroline has been instructed on a large number of cases concerning defective consumer products (many of which involve an international element) including shower units, gardening tools and homeware, hair-dye, children’s toys, chairs, beds and bicycles.
Employment
Employment
Caroline is an experienced employment tribunal advocate, acting for a wide variety of clients including individuals, blue chip companies and small businesses, local authorities and charities. She has appeared in a number of multi-day hearings as well as interlocutory hearings and has been instructed in a number of cases involving complex facts and issues of law.
She regularly advises and represents parties in unfair dismissal, wrongful dismissal, discrimination and whistleblowing claims. She represented a client in a six-day pregnancy discrimination and constructive dismissal claim against a large insurance company which resulted in significant compensation. She has also successfully represented a secretary in a claim against an orthopaedic surgeon whom the tribunal found to have forged an employment contract. Latterly, she has successfully represented a large pharmaceuticals company in a sex, race and victimisation claim.
Caroline’s employment practice is enhanced by her experience in cross-examining difficult witnesses in criminal cases.
Commercial
Commercial
Caroline acts in general contractual and commercial disputes including the sale and supply of goods. She advises on insolvency matters and has appeared in the Companies Court. She is often instructed in claims involving complex issues of law and fact. She is currently instructed on a number of cases concerning the mis-selling of cavity wall insulation.
Before joining chambers, Caroline worked as a research assistant in the commercial and common law team at the Law Commission. She worked almost exclusively on the team’s wide-ranging review of insurance contract law and contributed to several consultation papers. She has particular experience in non-disclosure, misrepresentation and fraudulent claims.
Court of Protection
Court of Protection
Caroline is a specialist clinical negligence and personal injury barrister who brings to her developing Court of Protection practice years of experience of acting for vulnerable individuals in both the health and social care/family context. She acts for psychiatric patients and their families in civil courts and coroners’ courts, as well as advising on issues relating to capacity and financial affairs. Caroline is particularly interested in welfare cases and serious medical treatment decisions. Her substantial experience of clinical negligence litigation makes her especially well-suited to cases involving complicated medical issues.
Instructing Caroline Lody
For more information please contact our clerks by calling +44 (0)20 7242 3555.
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