Product Liability

Crown Office Chambers is undoubtedly one of the Bar’s best known sets of chambers specialising in product liability work. It has been at the forefront of much of the high profile pharmaceutical and consumer litigation over the last few years. It rightly regards itself as a true centre of excellence in this expanding and complex field.

Chambers is rated by the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners Directories as one of the leading sets in product liability work. Indeed Chambers and Partners described Crown Office Chambers as "one of the most distinguished product liability sets".

Specialists in Product Liability

Most of those who practise in this area are identified individually in the directories as highly regarded. Members have been instructed in many of the major pieces of multi-party litigation to date, particularly those involving all forms of pharmaceutical and medicinal products.  These have included the claims involving: Pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine, contaminated blood products and HIV-Haemophiliacs, Opren (an anti-arthritis drug), Benzodiazepine (tranquilisers), Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (human growth hormone), third generation Oral Contraceptives, the MMR/MR (measles, mumps and rubella, and measles and rubella) vaccines, Epilim (a drug to control epilepsy), Vioxx (another anti-arthritis drug), Hylamer hip prostheses, and the experimental drug TGN 1412 at Northwick Park Hospital (the “human guinea pigs”).  Unitary cases have involved, amongst others, claims concerning toxic shock syndrome associated with Tampax brand tampons and Zyprexa, a drug treatment for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia allegedly causing the onset of diabetes.  All of these cases require a firm understanding of the underlying science and medicine, as well as a sound grasp of epidemiology.  Most concern vitally important public health issues.  As well as specialising in pharmaceutical litigation, Crown Office Chambers also has considerable involvement in “non-pharamceutical” product liability litigation.  Such cases have included the design of fork lift trucks, the tobacco litigation, the design and manufacture of Dunlop tyres, organo-phosphates (incorporated in sheep dip), the design of the cabs of Scania 4 lorries, the supply and installation of white cement and of a shot blasting machine, as well as the supply of a water softening unit alleged to have caused flood damage.Members of Chambers who practise in this area have extensive expertise in the procedural and case management issues that multi-party litigation raises, European legislative implications, related insurance liability, and the very important aspect of costs sharing orders in such multi-party litigation.

The size and resources of Crown Office Chambers enable us to offer our clients a greater choice of specialist advocates and advisers at all levels- even at short notice. Our recognised strength in depth and experience of team working in product liability claims has given us the ability to provide high calibre teams of counsel for large and complex disputes, whether in litigation or in other forms of dispute resolution.

Fee structures are flexible and subject to negotiation. Members of chambers will undertake conditional fee agreement cases in certain circumstances. A service protocol is operated for those who wish to enter into it. 

Recent Cases

Recent cases in which members have been involved include: