Catherine Brown

Barrister Profile

Catherine has a specialist personal injury practice. She has a particular expertise in local authority claims including highways law, educational negligence / bullying claims, stress at work cases and claims arising out of child sexual abuse. However she is also instructed by most of the leading insurers and by many well known companies. 

Catherine regularly acts for claimants, in particular those who have suffered serious brain injury or have CICA claims, and will accept appropriate cases on a conditional fee basis.

In addition to personal injury claims, Catherine deals with many claims arising out of nuisance, disrepair and other property related issues and professional negligence claims.

Catherine is recognised as a "Leading Junior" in Chambers & Partners 2008 (Personal Injury) and is described as an “exceptional cross-examiner” who is “always extremely supportive of her clients.”

Catherine is an advocacy trainer for her Inn and the South Eastern Circuit.

Qualifications

University of Birmingham (B Com); Polytechnic of Central London (DipLaw)

Professional Membership

Personal Injuries Bar Association
Professional Negligence Bar Association
South Eastern Circuit

Interesting Cases

Cunningham-Jones (deceased) v (1) EST Bus Co. & (2) Vale of Glamorgan (settlement 19/11/2007) - Issue of whether a local authority/school owes a duty of care to a pupil on a school bus ( claim discontinued against D2) (D2)
Minister v Penwith Housing Association & others (mediation 16/8/07) – multi-party fatal claim - Issue of whether employer in construction contract who employs a clerk of works owes a duty of care to tenant of property in respect of defective workmanship/supervision by contractors (D1)
Jones v Caerphilly CBC [Cardiff CC (Judge Hickinbottom) 7/4/2006]  Lawtel LTL 30/8/2006 – No jurisdiction to consider a former employee's claim for breach of an implied term of trust and confidence in an employment contract where the matters raised by the claim had previously been determined by an employment tribunal in a finding that the employee had been unfairly dismissed (D) 
Maloney v Torfaen CBC [2005] EWCA Civ 1762; [2006] PIQR P21; Times 10/1/06 – No liability under OLA 1984 to tenant taking short-cut who fell into unfenced pedestrian subway and suffered brain injury (D)
Allison v Brighton & Hove City Council [2005] EWCA Civ 548 – Claimant penalised in costs for inflation of claim (D)
S (a patient) v Boswell (QBD) [Lawtel LTLPI 26/5/05] – Claimant awarded substantial damages in PVS claim (C)
Kedgley v Britannia Airways [Romford CC 1/9/04] – Warsaw Convention claim for accident on aircraft (C)
Sandiford v Newport CC [Cardiff CC 7/7/04] – No liability for death of man who fell from unfenced side of pavement (D)
Wallis v Balfour Beatty [2003] EWCA Civ 72 – Foreseeability of employee risking his own safety in performance of his duties (D)
Wedlake v West Somerset DC [Current Law 03/2070] – Meaning of “house in multiple occupation” (D)
Goose v Wilson Sandford (No.2) [2001] Lloyds Reports PN 189 – Accountant’s negligence: claims for alleged fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and constructive trust (D) (led by Ronald Walker QC)
Burrows v Vauxhall Motors [1998] PIQR P48 –Costs and payments into court (C) (led by Timothy Stow QC)
Brocket Hall (Jersey) Ltd v Clague [Current Law 98/4367] – Proprietary estoppel as an overriding interest (D)