This month we shine a spotlight on Sophie Walton. Sophie is currently on her training contract and spent some time with the team at Medical Accident Group.
- What is a typical day like working within the Medical Accident Group team?
I usually start my day checking my emails, to make sure nothing urgent has come in from the previous day that needs to be dealt with first or brought to the attention of the fee earner. Generally, I’ll work on a number of cases each day completing tasks set by the fee earner in order to progress the cases. This can range from attending conferences and meetings with clients, to drafting witness statements, drafting various instructions to experts and/or counsel, and reviewing reports to provide updates to clients.
- Why did you choose Medical Accident Group as one of your trainee seats?
I had always been interested in clinical negligence work and it was the perfect opportunity to be able to try the area and see if it was something I may want a career in. I have always wanted to work in an area of law that assists people I perceive to need it most and/or have been wronged in some way and need legal help/support; I feel that clinical negligence work exactly fits that criterion. It has been a really interesting seat, and the work has varied so much, so it has been a great opportunity for me to complete work at different stages of a claim.
- What makes Medical Accident Group different to other clinical negligence law firms?
I haven’t worked for other firms in a clinical negligence department but from hearing from clients and their experiences, I think one thing that stands out is the hands-on approach that the Medical Accident Group takes to their clients. The fee earners really do know the cases inside out and care deeply for their clients and getting them the best outcomes possible in their claims.
- What is your most memorable outcome for a client while working with Medical Accident Group? And why?
The most memorable outcome was following an inquest I attended, and I think this is mainly because of the circumstances of the claim and the family’s resilience throughout the case. I became really attached to the clients quickly and felt the enormity of the outcome of the inquest for them and what it would mean for a claim. As with most clients, any damages were not the focus, they just wanted to ensure the mistakes made were not made again in the future and that the Trust accepted responsibility for what had happened. It was a case that, the doctors involved in accepted their roles in the outcome and were genuinely sorry for what had happened, which I think in the long run was important for the family to hear. Following the inquest, the Trust did settle the claim, and it felt like a just outcome for the family. I hope the conclusions of both the inquest and claim mean that they are able to try and move on and heal from what has happened.
- What is your one tip to someone who may have suffered medical negligence?
Do not wait to contact a solicitor to consider if you may have a claim, as the limitation period can diminish quickly; there is absolutely no harm in reaching out with an enquiry and you don’t want to miss your opportunity for a claim. I would also recommend keeping some form of list/diary about anything and everything about your injury i.e. what difficulties you now have, what extra costs you have had to incur as a result e.g. buying specific equipment to help with mobility or travelling to additional appointments for example, and make sure to keep receipts in relation to them. This will help later down the line of your claim when considering what damages should be claimed against the Defendant.
