Chris Canning

Clinical Negligence

Chris specialises in clinical negligence. He acts mainly for claimants. He appears on behalf of families at inquests into the deaths of loved ones; and he has been instructed in hundreds of claims against clinicians and institutions in the County Court and the High Court.

Chris’ recently concluded cases in clinical negligence include several matters involving misdiagnosis of cancer and heart disease; resulting in early death or shortened life expectancy, in which claimants have obtained substantial settlements.

In 2023, he has acted for claimants in several high-severity clinical injury cases including:

• a liability-disputed claim arising out of an operation leading to total blindness to the claimant;
• a claim arising out of mismanagement of glaucoma resulting in the claimant losing sight in one eye;
• a claim concerning wrongful diagnosis and treatment for cancer resulting in numerous other injuries and complications;
• several claims on behalf of families who lost their children shortly after their birth;
• a liability-disputed claim for the early inducement of medical menopause on behalf of a woman of child-bearing age.

Other recent cases have featured liability disputes relating to alleged orthopaedic negligence, including intra-operative negligence in knee and ankle replacements and failures to diagnose and treat fractures; dental negligence cases; claims against GPs for mismanagement of chronic conditions and failures to refer; and claims on behalf of vulnerable claimants arising out of falls in care homes and hospitals, and diabetic care.

Chris is also an experienced inquest barrister, and inquests make up a significant part of his court practice. He is experienced in dealing with institutions and families in acutely stressful situations, and he has a close knowledge of the law of the application of Article 2, causation in coronial law, the ambit or Coroner’s discretion, and conclusions.

In 2023, his concluded inquest work included:

• representing HM Prison Service in a 5-day jury inquest arising out of the death of a prisoner;
• representing a family who lost their new-born daughter in a multi-day inquest;
• representing the family of a young woman who died following misdiagnosis of a pulmonary embolism;
• successful judicial review of a Coroner’s causation conclusion resulting in the record of inquest being revised in accordance with his client’s case.

Chris’ other recent inquest work includes acting for: HM Government in other cases of death in custody cases; the families of those who lost their lives whilst in-patients in mental health institutions; and parents of children who have died in hospital settings. Chris also recently appeared for the family of a lady who was killed by her husband after he had warned his religious leader that he intended to kill, in which a verdict of unlawful killing was recorded. Chris is often instructed in civil claims arising out of deaths after the inquest process, in common-law and HRA claims.

Whilst Chris is instructed alone in most of his clinical negligence work, including in cases valued at over £1 million, he is also instructed as junior counsel in very high value or complex claims.