Helen Neville

Practice Areas

Helen is deputy head of the clinical negligence department and has specialised in clinical negligence litigation since she was a paralegal in 2005 and then qualified into this area of law in 2010.

She undertakes high value clinical negligence work and specialises in complex psychiatric injury claims, birth and neonatal claims and the delay in diagnosis of cancer cases. Her recent cases include cerebral palsy cases involving severe brain damage. One particular case currently has experts stating it is the worst case of obstetric negligence they have seen in their medico-legal careers.

She acts on shoulder dystocia cases including a current case concerning a permanent brachial plexus injury.

She speaks at events/debates for Counsel chambers on topics including consent and is a speaker for the Liverpool Law Society.

Career

Qualified in May 2010. Hugh James Senior Associate. Partner at Simpson Millar 2021. Left to take up Deputy Head position for Clinical Negligence Team Bond Turner 2021 and remains at Bond Turner.

Deputy District Judge Northern Circuit 2021 to date.

Fee paid Tribunal Judge 2024 to date.

Professional Memberships

Senior Litigator at APIL.

Accredited by the Law Society Clinical Negligence panel.

Work Highlights

• Helen was appointed as a Deputy District Judge in 2021 and sits on the North Western Circuit.

• Won a 3-day clinical negligence trial in April 2022, obtaining indemnity costs.

• Lead solicitor in quasi-group action against Mr. Qureshi and others. Multiple defendants, complex costs, and two test cases for 7-day trial in November 2020.

• £2 million psychiatric injury case concerning material contribution and indivisible injury.

• Shoulder dystocia case – permanent brachial plexus injury due to negligent traction used during delivery. Case valuation over £1 million.

• Case involving three secondary victims arising out of the death of a 12-year-old due to meningitis. Judgment entered with indemnity costs. One claim settled at mediation for £195,000.

• Delay in parotid tumour diagnosis; converted from “lost years” to a fatal accidents act claim. Settled for £335,000.

• Delay in malignant melanoma diagnosis. Explored material contribution issue and complex financial loss scenario involving several businesses and franchises relating to lost income. Settled for £575,000.

• Admitted delay in caesarean delivery, investigating causation. Claimant suffers from deafness. Mother’s psychiatric case settled for £39,500.