Fiona Ashworth

Practice Areas

Personal Injury, Clinical Negligence and Professional Negligence

Career

For over 20 years, Fiona has developed a specialism in cases involving Chronic Pain Syndromes, Complex Regional Pain Syndromes, Chronic Fatigue Syndromes, Somatoform Pain Disorders, Somatic Symptom Disorders, Conversion Disorders, Functional Neurological Disorders and Fibromyalgia. She is considered to be a leading expert in the field.

These conditions are often little understood and extremely challenging. Fiona has built up a deep knowledge and understanding of these chronic pain cases, working with medical experts of all different specialisms over the years. She has been involved in hundreds of such cases, both at first instance and on appeal, acting for both Claimant and Defendan

Fiona has lectured extensively over the country, has organised numerous Pain Seminars and has contributed published articles on the topic. She was a delegate at the Pain Summit at Westminster. She was a speaker at the medico legal forum at Peterhouse College Cambridge 2015. Fiona was guest speaker at the British Pain Society's 50th Annual Conference in 2017. She addressed the Grange conference for psychologists and psychiatrists in 2018.

She also has wide experience in personal injury related professional negligence cases.

Fiona is the patron of Burning Nights CRPS charity and works alongside the founder Victoria Abbot Fleming in raising awareness of CRPS.

Fiona was appointed as a Recorder in 2009.

Professional Memberships

PIBA

Publications

“Soft Tissue Injuries and Their Consequences” -PI Brief Update Law Journal

“Pedestrians Beware”- PI Brief Update Law Journal

“Recognising chronic pain” - Solicitors Journal

“Loss of earnings in fibromyalgia claims” – Fibromyalgia Magazine

“Fibromyalgia and the Legal System” - Fibromyalgia Magazine

Work Highlights

MacDonald v Surya Hotels. Settlement of £4m for CRPS sufferer which developed after a sprained ankle.

Butler v Haywood Settlement of £1.25m where C suffered an allergic reaction to an injection and developed CFS/Fibromyalgia as a consequence.

Re: AB settlement of £5.8m for child brain damaged in RTA, leading to non-epileptic seizures

Todd v Newcastle £2.3m for C who developed CRPS in all 4 limbs after being struck on the arm.

Industry Sector Expertise

Chronic Pain