Zara Poulter

Zara specialises in Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury law.

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, with a particular interest in gynaecological and obstetric claims. 

Examples of recent cases include:

• Failures to identify pre-cancerous changes on smear test samples leading to: development of cervical cancer, salpingectomy, infertility, hysterectomy, medical menopause, urological injuries and death. Such claims have involved claims for IVF and foreign commercial surrogacy.
• Failings in the monitoring of foetal heartbeat during labour leading to hypoxic brain injury and death.
• Delayed diagnosis of laryngeal cancer leading to laryngectomy, loss of taste and smell, speech difficulties, and swallow difficulties leading to nutritional issues.  
• Incorrect grading of and failure to treat a perineal tear during childbirth leading to permanent nerve damage, chronic pain and PTSD.
• Failure to diagnose stroke leading to extensive neurological deficits.
• Prescription of an incorrect dose of anticoagulants leading to a retroperitoneal bleed and death.
• Informed consent in relation to gynaecologic surgery, double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery, bariatric surgery and abdominoplasty.
• Nerve damage sustained during hip replacement surgery.
• Secondary victim claims. 

Personal Injury

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

Recent cases include claims/injuries of the following nature:

• 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.