Henry Pitchers

Personal injury either side, clinical negligence either side, professional negligence.

Henry was appointed Queen’s Counsel in March 2020, after two decades as an extremely busy junior. He has for many years been recognised by the directories and his peers as a leading barrister specialising in complex and high value claims arising out of both clinical negligence and personal injury. His caseload is dominated by acquired brain injuries, spinal cord damage, amputations, complex polytrauma, psychiatric disorder and fatalities. Even prior to his appointment to silk, he was instructed in some of the highest value claims, such as a child brain injury matter which concluded at a joint settlement meeting for the capitalised equivalent of approximately £28M.

Henry led  the team at the Fishmongers Hall terror attack inquests, on behalf of the family  of one of the young victims, Saskia Jones., helping to identify multiple failings of the state and others.  He also is lead counsel in the case of Polmear v Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust.  [2021] EWHC 196 (QB), one of three landmark appeals before the Court of Appeal, considering issues of recoverability for secondary victims (nervous shock).

Clinical negligence work covers the full   range, but with a focus upon obstetrics (baby and mother) and neurosurgery (including strokes and intracranial infections, but also cauda equina). Henry is very experienced in liability disputes in personal injury claims, from RTCs (including MIB issues) to accidents in the workplace (including construction sites). He has been instructed in significant matters with an international element. As well l  as having huge trial experience, Henry regularly is instructed to appear at inquests. Henry’s cases routinely involve periodical payments and the Court of Protection.

He is a contributing editor to Butterworth’s Personal Injury Litigation Service.

 

BA (Hons) Jurisprudence, Oxon.