Inquests & Public Inquiries
Catherine undertakes a wide range of Inquest work, including Inquests involving mental health issues where Article 2 is engaged and where the deceased has been subject to supervision by Social Services and/or Health Trusts and has committed suicide or died due to medication overdoses or in other untoward circumstances.
Catherine’s Inquest work is often linked to her occupational disease and personal injury practice given her experience in industrial accidents, asbestos exposure, hazardous substances exposure, and fatal accident claims. She is able to provide an integrated service covering the overlapping elements of the coronial and common law jurisdictions.
These cases have involved fatalities arising from carbon monoxide poisoning, food poisoning, suicide (in clinical settings and due to alleged occupational stress), aviation disasters, industrial accidents, road traffic accidents, drag car racing, construction fatalities and all forms of Inquest arising from an employment or public context.
Selected Cases
- Instructed on a number of occasions by the families of psychiatric patients who took their own life whilst either inpatients or on home leave from psychiatric units
- Instructed by a Local Authority in a case where the deceased committed suicide whilst under the watch of Social Services due to his failing mental health
- Instructed on a number of occasions by care providers where elderly and/or otherwise vulnerable patients and residents have died whilst in care due to falls and/or other accident related causes
- Instructed by a Local Authority in a case where the deceased died as the result of electrocution caused by a failure to maintain air conditioning in circumstances where the Council had been on notice of the risk but failed to act
- Instructed by a Local Authority in a cohort of case where the deceased had died as the result of carbon monoxide poisoning caused by a failure to maintain heating systems
- Instructed on a number of occasions by Statutory Authorities where the maintenance and repair of road systems has been implicated in fatal road traffic accidents
- Instructed by the family of a spectator who was killed when a racing car left the track at an organized race event
- Instructed by a Local Authority where the deceased had fallen asleep overnight on a tram track and was decapitated when the first tram set out on its morning journey
- Instructed by a Local Authority in a case where the deceased had been dragged into the sea by a wave and drowned due to a lack of rescue equipment
- Instructed by an Insurer where the deceased had been killed in a light aircraft collision
- Instructed on a number of occasions where the deceased have committed suicide due to alleged occupational stress
- Instructed on numerous occasions by Insurers where the deceased have died on construction sites
- Instructed on numerous occasions by Insurers where the deceased have died in road traffic accidents
- Instructed by an Insurer where the deceased, a child with a nut allergy, died whilst at school due of anaphylactic shock
News
Articles
- Fundamental dishonesty and accurate schedule of loss in PI cases (Wright v Satellite Information Services Ltd)
- Costs of future treatment in mesothelioma cases
Qualifications
- LLB, Nottingham University (1985)
Memberships
- Personal Injury Bar Association
- Professional Negligence Bar Association
Recommendations
“Absolutely superb in her field. She is a sophisticated, tough and clever negotiator with excellent client care skills. She is also a collaborative and thoughtful team player.”
Chambers & Partners, 2022
“An incredible advocate with an innate ability to construct a logical and persuasive legal argument.”
Legal 500, 2022
“Someone you want fighting your corner. Faultless expertise, practical, analytical style and great responsiveness and ability to adapt to client needs.”
Legal 500, 2021
“A formidable tactician and a real team player who really knows her stuff.” “She is excellent in cross-examinations.”
Chambers & Partners, 2021
“A tenacious and very clever advocate; she knows when to take points and when to leave them.”; “One of the best trial advocates in the market. She won’t let go of a witness once she has hold of them and has a very strong grasp of the evidence.”
Chambers & Partners, 2020
“She has a wealth of experience and very good attention to detail.”
Chambers & Partners, 2019
“An erudite advocate who cross-examines with the precision of a surgeon’s scalpel. Very good on cases where there are credibility issues.”
Chambers & Partners, 2018
“A mature and sophisticated performer who has an incredibly high success rate on difficult cases.”
Chambers & Partners, 2018
Nominated ‘Personal Injury Junior of the Year’
(Chambers & Partners 2012 and 2013)
She has an established reputation across both disease and accident litigation and is “a reliably strong and insistent advocate” and “experienced in disease and occupational stress cases.” and “an excellent trial advocate with great expertise in disease cases”
"Leader at the Bar" in Personal Injury: Industrial Disease (Chambers & Partners 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016)
“A tough advocate and a tough opponent”, “a very direct and incisive operator, who is very strong at negotiating and good on her feet. When it needs to be a bit of a fight she’s someone you welcome in your corner”, “tough, thorough and skilled cross-examiner”, “a fearsome opponent who knows how to stealthily deliver the killer punch” and as “one of the finest senior juniors in the country.”
"Leader at the Bar" in Personal Injury (Chambers & Partners 2013, 2014 and 2015)
“Her advocacy is first-rate and she is one of the best cross-examiners” and “a consummate performer in court’. Solicitors have “no hesitation” in using Catherine Foster “in cases which might otherwise be taken by silks.”
"Leading Junior" in Personal Injury (Legal 500 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012)
