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 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 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 was also instructed 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.
Caroline is qualified to accept instructions directly from clients and is registered under the Bar Council’s Public Access Scheme, meaning that members of the public who seek specialist advice can come direct to her. In addition, she welcomes instructions from solicitors, in-house law departments, qualified foreign lawyers, and clients licensed by the Bar Council to give instructions direct to barristers under the Bar Council’s Licensed Access Scheme. For more information please visit our Direct Access page here.
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 defends local authorities and other bodies in cases involving allegations of historic abuse, social services negligence, and in “failure to remove” cases. She was led by Adam Weitzman QC in DFX & Ors v Coventry City Council (2021), successfully representing the defendant in the first trial of a failure to remove claim following N v Poole. She is also frequently instructed by public bodies to defend actions brought under the Human Rights Act and Equality Act.
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 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 instructed on the Brazilian, Fundão Dam litigation on behalf of a group of over 250,000 claimants seeking damages of around £5 billion. She was also instructed on the Grenfell Inquiry.
Caroline appears in court very regularly and has substantial trial experience, as well as appearing regularly in interim applications. Notably, Caroline is very experienced 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.
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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