Thea Wilson

“Thea always adds great value to a case. She is fantastic with clients and has a talent for navigating through difficult situations.” Legal 500, 2026

Thea acts for claimants and defendants in clinical negligence cases arising from a variety of procedures or incidents, in particular:

• Injuries to both mother and baby during pregnancy, labour, and birth
• Delayed or misdiagnosis claims
• Cardiac surgery and failure to recognise myocarditis
• Sepsis
• Negligence involving joint replacement surgery and aftercare
• Gastrointestinal illnesses and surgery
• Eye injuries and diseases
• Plastic surgery claims
• Dental negligence
• Failure to obtain informed consent

Thea splits her practice approximately 50/50 between claimant and defendant work, and has acted for NHS Resolution, the Medical Defence Union, and the Association of Optometrists.

Thea has considerable experience in advising on liability, quantum and causation; drafting pleadings; drafting agendas for expert meetings; drafting Part 18 and Part 35 questions; holding conferences with experts; and representing clients at JSMs, mediations, and in representing parties at all levels of Court hearings.

Recent examples of Thea’s cases include:

• Representing a claimant who suffered hypoxic brain injury following a premature birth outside
• Advising a claimant who suffered a bowel obstruction leading to a significant ICU stay and the need for a stoma.
• Advising a claimant who suffered a stillbirth due to negligent failure to detect issues with the placenta on ultrasound.
• Representing the family of a man who died from a fatal heart attack while waiting for a negligently delayed hospital appointment with the urgent access cardiac clinic.
• Advising an NHS Trust in a cauda equina claim where damage was caused by complications from spinal surgery.
• Representing the claimant who suffers from cerebral palsy and other injuries due to his premature birth allegedly caused by the defendant’s negligence.
• Representing a claimant who suffered a cauda equina injury due to her GP’s negligent failure to refer for urgent treatment.
• Representing a claimant who suffered foot drop due to treatment of sepsis.

“Thea is able to absorb vast amounts of complex evidence and forensically pick out the key points. Clients respect her judgement.” Legal 500, 2026

Thea advises on all areas of serious personal injury from employers’ liability to public liability to road traffic cases, and has extensive experience representing clients at trial, JSM and mediation. Thea receives instructions from claimants, insurers, local authorities, the NHS, care homes, and private sector businesses.

Thea handles all levels of injury with particular expertise in:

• Serious and catastrophic spinal and limb injuries including amputation and Cauda Equina
• Brain injury (including subtle brain injury)
• Complex psychiatric and psychological injuries including cases of pre-existing vulnerability and Secondary Victim cases
• Chronic pain including CRPS and
• Serious Scarring
• Fatal accidents

Insurers seek out Thea’s advice and representation in cases involving fraud, including cases of malingering/exaggeration, phantom passengers and low velocity impacts. Thea is also experienced in dealing with questions of complex policy and coverage issues: drafting applications, advising on issues, preparing applications under the uninsured and untraced drivers’ agreements, and representing clients on a variety of issues including insurer status and Nemeti applications.

Thea is experienced in handling claims involving sensitive issues and vulnerable applicants. She has successfully represented adults and children who have been victims of physical and sexual abuse in both personal injury claims and the CICA.

Thea represents claimants and defendants in a number of claims involving attacks on teachers and mental health nurses.

Examples of Thea’s cases include:

• A v An NHS Trust – represented the defendant NHS Trust in a seven-figure claim following an employee’s slipping accident which caused catastrophic hip injuries. Successfully negotiated a settlement at JSM.
• Branston v DHL & Gas Container Services – represented a potential defendant after their employee suffered catastrophic leg and shoulder injuries when he was crushed by a falling gas cannister. Negotiated settlement at JSM.
• Lamb v Essex Partnership NHS Trust – successfully defended the claim of a nurse alleging breach of manual handling regulations in respect of how she was expected to dress a patient’s wounds. Demonstrated that the movements required were not dangerous and that any other method would have significantly increased risk for both patient and nurse.
• B v A Insurance Company – represented the Defendant insurer following a complex head injury in a road traffic accident.
• E v TVM Company – represented the fiancée of a man killed after falling into a poorly fenced 12-foot drop on the defendant’s property.
• GH v An NHS Trust – instructed by the defendant NHS Trust in a stress at work claim involving complex issues of causation in relation to a brain injury. Negotiated a settlement on favourable terms.
• K v TR Ltd & An NHS Trust – led by Harry Steinberg KC representing the claimant in a tripping claim which caused a severe knee injury and eventually resulted in above knee amputation. Complex issues of causation and arguments of a break in the chain of causation by the negligence of the NHS Trust dealing with the case. Settled at JSM for a seven-figure sum.
• A v A Academy – representing a teacher who suffered physical and psychiatric injuries following an assault by a pupil at a special needs school.
• G v Zurich Insurance & Allianz Insurance – successfully defended a Nemeti application to add the tortfeasor as a party outside of limitation.

Thea has considerable experience in inquests and pre-inquest hearings. As an Assistant Coroner, she has an insight into all stages of the coronial process.

Thea regularly acts for IPs at inquest and PIRH, in particular in claims involving clinical negligence, road traffic accidents, deaths in care, and deaths in custody. She is experienced in handling Article 2 inquests, jury inquests, and inquests involving allegations of neglect.

Thea acts on behalf of families and for other properly interested persons including the NHS, care homes and local authorities. Thea is happy to advise on issues of evidence and procedure and is experienced in drafting written submissions.

In most of Thea’s inquest cases she is instructed to then bring or defend a civil action. Cases include:

• Inquest concerning the death of Tommy Kneebone – Representing the family of a seven-month old who died of undetected cardiomyopathy; Coroner found death contributed to by neglect.
• Inquest concerning the death of Meila Tarbin-Vitler – Representing the family of a baby who died within hours of birth after efforts to resuscitate her failed partly due to the correct sized oxygen mask not being available.
• Inquest concerning the death of Tracey Drake – Representing a Perfusion Service who ran a cardiac bypass machine; deceased died due to complications of bypass surgery.
• Inquest concerning the death of Lance Scott Walker – representing a local authority following the murder of a teenager by another teenager in their care.
• Inquest concerning the death of Stephen Dymond – representing a family of a victim of the infected blood scandal, Thea secured a conclusion that the death was caused by exposure to contaminated blood products.

Thea is sought out by insurers to represent them in cases of suspected fraud claims, including ‘low velocity impact’ and ‘induced/staged accidents’. Thea is happy to review the party and evidence in conference, advise, plead allegations of fraud and fundamental dishonesty, and to represent parties at Court. She has extensive experience cross-examining claimants to draw out evidence of fundamental dishonesty.

Thea also acts for claimants and defendants in cases where malingering or exaggerated injuries are suspected and is happy to advise on paper or in conference where these issues have arisen.

Thea has appeared in many cases involving ancillary costs issues (including wasted costs orders against non-parties and arguments to disapply QOCS).

Thea regularly represents both Claimants and Defendants at CCMCs before District Judges, Circuit Judges and High Court Masters, achieving significant reductions in other party’s budgets. Her two years of experience before being called to the Bar as a Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence Paralegal has been extremely helpful in this regard.

Thea is happy to assist at the early stages of formulating budgets, in collaboration with the Solicitor.

Thea is also experienced in handling costs disputes, regularly appearing for both parties at summary and detailed assessment and applications for wasted costs, and will advise on prospects of success of costs arguments.

Thea is experienced in dealing with questions of complex policy and coverage issues. She is regularly instructed by leading motor insurers and the Motor Insurers Bureau to draft applications, advise on issues including status and Nemeti applications, and to attend hearings.

M v An NHS Trust – Representing a claimant who suffered hypoxic brain injury following a premature birth outside hospital.

H v R Pain Clinic – Representing the family of a man who died from a fatal heart attack while waiting for a negligently delayed hospital appointment with the urgent access cardiac clinic.

A v NHS Trust – Representing an NHS Trust at an application hearing and JSM arising out of a slipping accident causing catastrophic hip injuries. Pled at over £2.5M; settled at JSM.

H v Dr K – representing a Claimant who suffered foot drop and incontinence due to a GP’s negligent delay in referring her to hospital after failure to recognise red flag signs of cauda equina.

A v An NHS Trust – represented the defendant NHS Trust in a seven-figure claim following an employee’s slipping accident which caused catastrophic hip injuries. Successfully negotiated a settlement at JSM.

Lamb v Essex Partnership NHS Trust – successfully defended the claim of a nurse alleging breach of manual handling regulations in respect of how she was expected to dress a patient’s wounds. Demonstrated that the movements required were not dangerous and that any other method would have significantly increased risk for both patient and nurse.

Inquest concerning the death of Tommy Kneebone – Representing the family of a seven-month old who died of undetected cardiomyopathy; Coroner found death contributed to by neglect.

Inquest concerning the death of Meila Tarbin-Vitler – Representing the family of a baby who died within hours of birth after efforts to resuscitate her failed partly due to the correct sized oxygen mask not being available.

Inquest concerning the death of Tracey Drake – Representing a Perfusion Service who ran a cardiac bypass machine; deceased died due to complications of bypass surgery.

Inquest concerning the death of Lance Scott Walker – representing a local authority following the murder of a teenager by another teenager in their care.

Inquest concerning the death of Stephen Dymond – representing a family of a victim of the infected blood scandal, Thea secured a conclusion that the death was caused by exposure to contaminated blood products.

• MA (Hons) Law, Newnham College, Cambridge University
• LLM, Duke University
• BVC, BPP Law School
• Certificate in Forensic Medicine, Academy of Forensic Sciences

• Winner of the Betty Wu Lee Prize Law Tripos, Newnham College, Cambridge
• Exhibition, Inner Temple

• Barrister Governing Bencher of Inner Temple
• Approved Advocacy Trainer for Inner Temple
• Member of the Personal Injuries Bar Association; the South Eastern Circuit; and AvMA

Editor of Facts & Figures

Regular contributor to 12 King’s Bench Walk’s Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury blogs.

Regular speaker at 12 King’s Bench Walk seminars in Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence. Gives lectures direct to solicitors and insurers on a variety of topics.

Recent seminars include:

• Coroners: Not a Court of Blame? Exploring conclusions of Neglect and Unlawful Killing in the Coroner’s Court
• Practical Guidance for Clinical Negligence Lawyers on making the most out of the inquest process
• Sensory impairment as a result of neurological injuries
• Changes in the Coroner’s Bench Book
• Clinical Negligence and Amputation Claims
• Experts and how to make the most of them
• Why are heart attacks in women underdiagnosed? A seminar to explore the medicine and the legal ramifications
• Disclosure: The Basics and Not-so-Basics

Thea is able to absorb vast amounts of complex evidence and forensically pick out the key points. Clients respect her judgement. – Legal 500, 2026

Thea always adds great value to a case. She is fantastic with clients and has a talent for navigating through difficult situations. – Legal 500, 2026