Oliver Carr

Year of Call: 2020, Middle Temple

Olc 2023 07 28 112115 jrmp
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Oliver has a broad medical and healthcare practice. He specialises in Clinical Negligence, Personal Injury, and Coroner’s Inquests.  

Oliver completed a civil pupillage at Deans Court, joining Chambers as a tenant in November 2021.  

Clinical Negligence   

Oliver regularly advises on, and prepares pleadings in respect of, Clinical Negligence matters. He is available to assist with case strategy and the drafting of pre-action correspondence in respect of the same. His experience also includes having conferences with experts, and regularly advising in respect of quantum.  

He has experience in cases involving allegations of:  

  • Negligent misdiagnosis
  • Delayed diagnosis 
  • Negligently performed surgery   
  • Negligent mismanagement of cancer treatment 
  • The misadministration and wrongful withholding of medication
  • The negligent development of pressure sores  

Oliver's recent experience includes cases involving infant injury/death in clinical settings.

Oliver's experience in inquest work is such that he is in a position to work on matters involving fatalities in healthcare settings from the 'get go', being well placed thereafter to assist with civil claims in clinical negligence that naturally follow.   

Personal Injury   

Oliver deals with claims of intermediate and multi-track value. 

He accepts instructions in the broadest range of personal injury litigation, dealing in disputed expert evidence across a range of medical disciplines. 

He has an interest in claims involving: 

  • Chronic pain presentations
  • Complex future losses
  • Fatal accidents

For Defendants, Oliver regularly works on cases that involve allegations of dishonesty and insurance fraud at their core, and is on all of the major panels. 

Inquests   

Oliver accepts instructions both on behalf of families and other interested persons at Inquests.  

His experience includes inquest proceedings into deaths occurring: 

  • In hospital
  • Following allegations of clinical mistreatment
  • In the workplace 
  • As a result of road traffic accidents
  • During the provision of psychiatric care 

Oliver operates with sensitivity at inquest proceedings, but is quick to identify salient issues, being ever conscious of the utility and effect of investigations when considering future proceedings which naturally follow.  

'Oliver is exceptional at balancing the strengths and weaknesses of a case. He is particularly skilful at cross-examination and knowing the best arguments to run at trial...' 

Legal 500, 2025 - Rising Star (Personal Injury)

Notable Cases

  • Oliver Carr secures costs in fundamentally dishonest claim

    Personal Injury

    Oliver appeared before His Honour Judge Bird (the Designated Civil Judge for Manchester) representing Skyfire Insurance Company instructed by Caitlin Riley of Keoghs Solicitors.

     

    The Claimant alleged that he had been injured in a “rear end shunt” caused by the insured driver.  The Defendant’s case was that there had been no contact at all, and that the claim must therefore be fundamentally dishonest.

     

    Unusually, the Claimant did not attend trial.  Rather than have the case struck out for non-attendance, Oliver persuaded the Court to hear the trial in the Claimant’s absence, and to give a ruling on the merits.  

     

    At the end of the trial, the case was dismissed, with the Judge remarking that it was “impossible” to arrive at any conclusion other than that the claim was fundamentally dishonest.

     

    Given the Court’s findings, Oliver was able to secure an enforceable order for costs under CPR 44.16(1).

  • Oliver Carr represents Family at Inquest into death caused by scalding injuries

    Inquest

    The Deceased, who had a history of frailty and limited mobility, would be regularly provided by her carers with a flask of hot water for overnight use. 

     

    Notwithstanding that her carers were aware that the Deceased had suffered from burn injuries as a result of a spillage of the hot water flask only a matter of days before, her carers again provided her with a hot water flask which spilled on the Deceased overnight and caused her to suffer from further and more severe burns. 

     

    The Assistant Coroner concluded that the Deceased died of complications resulting from scalds.

  • F (on behalf of the Estate of Baby C) v NHS Trust

    Clinical Negligence

    Oliver acted for the Claimant(s), the mother of a new born baby, which involved a claim both on behalf of the Claimant and on behalf of the Estate of Baby C. 

     

    Baby C’s delivery was negligently delayed, causing their tragic death. 

     

    It was admitted by the Defendant that, had Baby C been delivered sooner, they would have survived and avoided all neurological injury.

     

    Oliver advised on quantum and case strategy. 

     

    The claim(s) settled for multi-track value. 

  • P v G

    Personal Injury

    Oliver acted for the Claimant, who was contracted to carry out plastering works at a building site, when he fell through a rotten plank of wood between scaffolding towers, suffering from multiple traumatic injuries as a result. 

     

    The claim settled for £150k gross of CRU. 

  • Oliver Carr represents GP as an Interested Person at inquest into death of her patient

    Inquest

    The Family of the Deceased, who was 81 years old at the time of his death, raised concerns in relation to his alleged late referral to hospital prior to his death. 

     

    Oliver secured a short form conclusion that the Deceased died by way of natural causes. 

     

    The Coroner specifically noted that there were no missed opportunities on the part of Oliver’s GP client and, further, a lack of any earlier referral was not a contributing factor to his death.  

  • M v NHS Trust

    Clinical Negligence

    Oliver acted for the Claimant, advising on quantum and drafting the schedule of loss for a lady in her mid-20s who, during the course of surgery which was carried out as a result of her having a suspected ectopic pregnancy, she suffered the negligent removal of her ovary. 

     

    The Claimant later suffered a spontaneous miscarriage, which the Defendant admitted was spontaneously contributed to by the trauma associated with the removal of the Claimant’s ovary. 

     

    The claim settled for multi-track value. 

  • Oliver Carr represents Family at the Inquest into the Death of a 33 year old Father Crushed by Lift whilst at Work

    Inquest

    Over the course of a multi-day inquest at Rochdale Coroner’s Court, the Coroner concluded that Mr Sandy Noble, who was working as an engineer’s mate/labourer as part of lift refurbishment works at the Royal Oldham Hospital, died as a result of head and neck injuries after the lift collided with him.  

     

    The Coroner concluded that Mr Noble had pressed a defective stop button which should have had the effect of preventing lift movement. The button failed, leading to the lift system re-energising which enabled the lift to continue moving. This was found to have directly resulted in the impact which caused Mr Noble’s death. 

     

    In her conclusion, Joanne Kearsley, Senior Coroner for Manchester North, noted the failure of safety measures which should have, in isolation, prevented the lift from being able to move.  

  • W v S

    Personal Injury

    Oliver acted for the Claimant in this case, on which he advised in conference, advised as to quantum and drafted pleadings. 

     

    The case concerned events in relation to which the Defendant driver pleaded guilty to an offence contrary to s. 47 of the Offences Against the Person Act in the criminal courts. 

     

    The Claimant was partially leaning into the Defendant driver’s stationary vehicle when he suddenly began to drive. The Claimant was dragged alongside the moving vehicle, during the course of which she became unconscious, suffering from multiple injuries as a result. 

     

    The claim settled for multi-track value.

  • Oliver Carr appeared for the family at an inquest into the tragic death of a 16 year old in a road traffic collision.

    Inquest

    The deceased was riding a motorcycle when he was dislodged upon a collision with another vehicle.  


    The Assistant Coroner noted the sad and tragic circumstances in which the deceased lost his life and extended his thanks to the legal team representing the deceased for their assistance at the inquest. 

  • Oliver Carr secures finding of Fundamental Dishonesty

    Personal Injury

    Oliver Carr represented a local authority in proceedings brought against it by a Claimant who alleged that he had injured his elbow and back when he slipped on a churchyard pathway. 


    The Claimant’s evidence was that he was unable to play golf for three weeks post-accident and that, after an attempt to play caused him too much pain and discomfort, he altogether avoided playing golf for around one year.    


    The Defendant obtained evidence which demonstrated that the Claimant had posted on his social media account photographs of him playing golf on a nationally famous course and commenting that he had “nailed a drive” within one week of his alleged accident. The evidence demonstrated that the Claimant had continued to play golf (including at times at competition level) consistently over a year following the accident. The Claimant was served with this evidence, as well as a letter reserving the Defendant’s right to allege Fundamental Dishonesty. He discontinued his claim thereafter.  


    Oliver advised after the Claimant’s discontinuance in relation to prospects and case strategy, assisting the Defendant in preparing and attending an application which was made pursuant to Paragraph 12.4 (c) of PD 44 for the Court to list the discontinued claim for a final hearing in order to make a determination on the issue of Fundamental Dishonesty. The Defendant’s application was successful.  


    Oliver attended a final hearing in the County Court at which the District Judge made a finding of Fundamental Dishonesty. The Court found that the Claimant had significantly exaggerated his injuries, and further that he had concealed both a previous back injury and a relevant previous claim from his medical experts.  


    The Claimant was ordered to pay the Defendant’s costs of over £11,000 on an enforceable basis.

Appointments

  • Advocate (formerly the Bar Pro Bono Unit)

Professional Associations

  • The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple
  • Northern Circuit
  • Personal Injuries Bar Association

Education

  • University of Manchester – LLB Law with Politics – First Class, Ranked 1st in year
  • University of Oxford – Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL)
  • BPP University – Bar Professional Training Course

Awards

  • Melissa McDermott Scholarship – The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple
  • Pump Court Tax Chambers Scholarship – University of Oxford
  • Damien Bourke Award for Mooting – University of Manchester
  • Advocacy Scholarship – BPP University
  • Mooting Scholarship – BPP University

Articles by Oliver