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Summary Of Practice

Darryl Allen was called to the Bar in 1995 and practised from Farrar's Building in London, until joining Peel Court Chambers in 2001 to concentrate on personal inury and clinical negligence.

He has a broad range of experience in courts at all levels, tribunals, inquiries and CICA. He has extensive experience in all aspects of personal injury litigation, including claims of the utmost severity, catastrophic brain injury and paralysis, health and safety cases, bullying and stress at work.

Against that background, he has developed a specific clinical negligence practice. His practice also includes professional negligence (particularly solicitors' negligence arising out of personal injury/clinical negligence claims) and prison litigation. Appointed to the Attorney General's panel of Junior Counsel in 1998.

Sample Current Cases

Clinical Negligence:
- failure to diagnose evolving compartment syndrome leading to below knee amputation;
- failure to identify and treat maternal infection leading to cerebral palsy;
- maternal fatality following mismanagement of cardiac care;
- delayed diagnosis and treatment of retinopathy or prematurity resulting in significant loss of vision;
- negligent hip replacement surgery;
- various claims arising out of negligent care in residential/nursing care homes resulting in severe pressure sores.

Personal Injury:
- exposure to asbestos of waste disposal workers;
- various claims arising out of road traffic accidents resulting in multiple serious injuries.

Professional Memberships

Member of Personal Injuries Bar Association and Action Against Medical Accidents .

Appointments:

Attorney-General's Panel of Junior Counsel (1999);
Member of Criminal Injuries Compensation Appeals Panel (2007);
Counsel to global compensation scheme for victims of asbestos exposure (2007).

Selected Cases

Thomas v The State of Trinidad & Tobago (PC) - Conduct appeal hearings and the rights of death row prisoners.

Howarth v The Home Office (Moses J) - Successful claim for compensation on behalf of former Strangeways prisoner for harassment and breach of Article 8 rights by prison officers.

Holly v O'Malley & Ors (Elias J) - £500,000 settlement arising out of failure to diagnose and treat diabetic retinopathy leading to complete loss of vision for construction worker.

RK v CICAP (Manchester) - £150,000 award to victim of childhood sexual and physical abuse.

M v North Cheshire NHS Trust and Another - Delayed diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer - reduced life expectancy - successful recovery of damages for loss of parental and domestic services during 'lost years' - £400,000 settlement.

PR v Salford and Trafford Health Authority - £625,000 settlement arising out of negligent failure to correct club foot deformity (1978) resulting in below knee amputation.

Chiles v Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust - Negligent management of 'grown up congenital heart condition' in pregnancy - Fatal Accidents Act claim on behalf of widower and two chldren - £400,000 settlement.

RL v Barnet & Chase Hospitals NHS Trust - £330,000 settlement arising out of hospital acquired MRSA infection (liability denied).

PM & Anor v North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust - Maternal death following negligently performed amniocentesis - Fatal Accidents Act claim on behalf of widower and child, and maternal mother (nervous shock) - £250,000 settlement.

FO v Blackpool Fylde & Wyre Hospitals NHS Trust - £115,000 settlement arising out of hospital acquired MRSA infection (liability denied).

Rosario v St George's Hospital NHS Trust - Failure to warn of risks associated with Botulinum Toxin treatment of recurrent temporo-mandibular joint dislocation - anxiety and depression - Judgment for claimant following 5 day trial (£30,000).

PW v Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust - Negligent nursing care leading to Grade 5 pressure sore - £75,000 settlement.

Education

LLB (Hons) Leeds

Other Information

Born: 9th December 1972

Married with two daughters (and dog)

Completed New York Marathon (1999 - 4:14) and London Marathon (2004 - 4:01).  Hoping to break 4 hours at some point!

Directories

Clinical negligence - "...impresses interviewees with his 'passion for his work and interest in his clients' " (Chambers & Partners 2008); "With his 'trustworthy advice' and 'tremendous manner' "; "Darryl Allen is ever popular with solicitors." (Chambers & Partners 2007); "Up and coming junior" (Chambers & Partners 2007).

Lectures and seminars

Former Bar Council lecturer on the Civil Procedure Rules. Regularly provides lectures and seminars to solicitors and healthcare professionals. Recent topics include "Expert Witnesses: Duties and Obligations" and "Patients and Mental Capacity: Practice and Procedure". Speaker at AvMA Annual Conferfence (2006), "Conference and Consultation with Counsel"