Clinical negligence expert witness reports
Reports for claimants and defendants on breach, causation, and quantum where psychiatric injury is alleged to have arisen from clinical care, including missed diagnosis, medication error, and failures in mental health services.
These reports are most often prepared as part of our adult psychiatry, neuropsychiatry, and capacity assessments work.
Conditions and presentations
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Adjustment to serious diagnosis
Reactive depression and anxiety following late diagnosis of cancer or other serious illness.
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Breach and causation opinions
Bolam, Bolitho, and material contribution analysis on the psychiatric evidence.
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Capacity and consent at the time of treatment
Where retrospective capacity is in issue.
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Chronic pain with psychiatric overlay
Where psychological factors compound persistent pain.
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Hypoxic and acquired brain injury sequelae
Cognitive, mood, and behavioural change after clinical incident.
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Iatrogenic depression and anxiety
Following surgical complications, missed diagnosis, or chronic pain.
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Medication adverse effects
SSRI discontinuation, lithium toxicity, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, akathisia.
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Missed and delayed psychiatric diagnosis
Including missed bipolar disorder, psychosis, and postnatal illness.
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Perinatal birth trauma
Postpartum PTSD following difficult delivery, instrumental birth, or stillbirth.
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Postnatal depression and puerperal psychosis
Where missed in primary or perinatal care.
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Psychiatric treatment errors
Including inappropriate prescribing and failures in inpatient care.
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PTSD after medical events
ICU admission, awareness under anaesthesia, frightening procedures.
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Suicide and self-harm risk failures
Where the standard of risk assessment and management is in issue.
Typical questions for the expert
- What was the claimant's psychiatric condition before and after the index events?
- Would a competent practitioner have prevented the psychiatric injury?
- What treatment is required and what is the likely prognosis?
Reports provided
Liability and condition and prognosis reports compliant with CPR Part 35, with addenda and joint statements as required.
Experts owe their primary duty to the court under CPR Part 35 and equivalent procedural rules.
Related practice areas
Cases in this area often overlap with our work on personal injury and civil litigation, inquests and inquiries, and mental capacity and court of protection. You may also want to read our full list of practice areas.
Instruct an expert
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