Zara Poulter

Zara joined Chambers in October 2017 following the successful completion of her pupillage under the supervision of Alex Poole.

Clinical Negligence 

Zara specialises in Clinical Negligence. 

Zara acts for Claimants, Trusts, medical defence organisations, dental practices and individual practitioners.  She acts on a CFA basis, where appropriate, and can accommodate a quick turnaround of papers on request. 

Her practice includes a wide range of clinical disputes. 

Examples of recent cases include:

 - Delayed diagnosis of lung cancer, thyroid cancer, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, myocardial infarction, pyelonephritis, ophthalmological conditions, ureteral injury      sustained during gynaecologic surgery, perineal tears during childbirth, subdural haematoma, and a range of fractures;

 - Informed consent in relation to gynaecologic surgery, bariatric surgery and dental procedures;

 - Failings in the monitoring of foetal heartbeat during labour leading to hypoxic brain injury and death;

 - Nerve damage sustained during hip replacement surgery;

 - Falls in hospital;

 - Inadequate nutritional support in hospital;

 - Treatment provided by nurses and dentists in prison;

 - Secondary victim claims for psychiatric harm. 

 - Zara has significant experience in dental negligence, with a particular interest in claims involving orthodontic treatment and periodontal disease. 

Personal Injury

Zara’s Personal Injury practice encompasses road traffic accidents, employers’ liability, public liability and product liability matters. 

Examples of recent cases include:

 - Amputation (lower limb, forefoot and fingers);

 - Fatal accident and dependency claims;

 - Chronic pain;

 - Degloving injuries;

 - Post-concussion syndrome;

 - Post-traumatic stress disorder;

 - Psychiatric injuries arising out of stress at work. 

Data and Information

Zara acts for Claimants and Defendants in claims involving breach of the Data Protection Act (1998 and 2018), misuse of private information, breach of confidence, and breach of the Human Rights Act 1998. Her practice in this area has a particular focus on misuse of private information and data breaches arising in a medical context, in line with her expertise in Medical Law. 

Examples of recent cases include:

 - Inaccurate data in medical records;

 - Disclosure of medical records;

 - Publication of images of a patient without consent;

 - Disclosure of adoptive parents’ personal data; 

 - Data breaches in social care;

 - Data breaches by the police;

 - First Tier Tribunal (Information Rights) appeals.