Personal Injury
Occupational Stress/Psychiatric Injury
Catherine attends Court on a regular basis to pursue / defend claims for occupational stress and harassment and has a particular interest in causation issues involving the interplay of psychiatric injury with stressful work/environmental situations and accident circumstances. She has a particular interest in the connection between physical and psychiatric injury and has working knowledge of a range of conditions including fibromyalgia, complex regional pain syndrome, movement disorders, ME, chronic depression and anxiety disorders. She is regularly instructed by Claimants and Defendant Employers, PLCs, Local Authorities and other corporate entities to advise and attend joint settlement meetings and mediations in this area of litigation and by its nature, much of her work is highly confidential.
General Personal Injury and Catastrophic Injuries
Catherine has considerable experience of fatal accident claims and of catastrophic spinal and brain injury litigation encompassing severe cognitive conditions and amputations arising in the context of aviation accidents, road traffic accidents and employers’ liability claims; and in the analysis of high value complex claims and is regularly instructed to attend round table settlement meetings and mediations in this context. She has a particular interest in cycle accident claims and as a keen cyclist around London herself, understands the issues at stake.
Catherine also has a developing interest in the law around the use of drones and driverless cars. She is making good preparations to be involved in any litigation that will inevitably follow.
Personal Injury and Human Rights
Catherine is instructed in claims for personal injury involving human trafficking and human rights, many of which need to remain anonymous due to anonymity orders being in place or client confidentiality. She has acted for Local Authorities facing claims for failing to remove children who were trafficked and held captive for sexual and modern slavery purposes and has acted for PLCs facing Group litigation where rogue employees have taken advantage of children in third world countries and perpetrated abuse, thereby raising complex issues of vicarious liability.
At the other end of the spectrum she is instructed by many organisations facing claims from employees or members who are simply disgruntled and raise claims for breaches of human rights and injury to feelings, often under the guise of claims for personal injury.
Selected Cases
Occupational Stress/Psychiatric Injury
- Mawgoud v Your Healthcare Community Interest Company (High Court): claim by a Consultant Psychiatrist in respect of injury arising from occupational stress: resolved mid-trial
- Nicholls v Ladbrokes Betting & Gaming Limited [2013] EWCA Civ 1963: addressing issues of breach of duty and causation in a claim for psychiatric injury following a robbery
- Packenham-Walsh v Connells Estate Agency [2006] EWCA Civ 90: addresses the legal principles relevant to occupational stress
- Harding v The Pub Estate Company Ltd [2005] EWCA Civ 553: occupational stress causing myocardial infarction
- Bonser v UK Coal Mining Limited [2004] IRLR 164 (Court of Appeal): addresses the legal principles relevant to occupational stress
- Martin Humphrey v Tote Bookmakers [2003] EWHC 217: claim for psychiatric injury arising from an armed robbery in a betting shop: involving complex causation issues.
General Personal Injury and Catastrophic Injuries
- Wright v Satellite Information Services Ltd [2018] EWHC 812 (QB), [2018] All ER (D) 57 (Apr): a judgment on appeal in respect of fundamental dishonesty
- Shoreham Air Crash litigation; instructed by the Insurer in its management of claims by the estates and dependents of 11 men who were killed when a vintage Hawker Hunter aircraft crashed at the Shoreham Air Show in 2011
- Hussein v Happy Badge Projects Limited t/a Ronnie Scott’s [2017] Her Honour Judge Baucher: involving a tripping accident on a staircase at the famous jazz club
- Peakstone Ltd v Joddrell [2012] EWCA Civ 1035: on the interpretation of section 1032(1) of the Companies Act 2006 in the context of issuing claims for personal injury
- Pinchbeck v Craggy Island Ltd [2012] EWHC 2745 (QB) HHJ Judge Curran QC: represented the Claimant in a climbing wall accident in which the Court considered a number of issues including the nature and scope of the Defendant’s duties and the doctrine volenti non fit injuria
- Jade Spillman v Bradfield Riding Centre [2007] EWHC 89 (QB): on the principles relating to interim payments
Abuse/Neglect
Sexual Abuse/Child Sexual Exploitation and Failure to Protect
Catherine has been instructed in claims involving the Catholic Church, Jehovah’s Witnesses, various other religious organisations, the Scout Association, Schools, Children’s Homes, Care Homes, Local Authorities and foreign Governments over a wide range of issues including complex vicarious liability arguments, allegations of failure to intervene to prevent abuse by parents / foster carers / employees, failure to prevent damage (rape and criminal damage) caused by abused perpetrators and duty of care issues.
She is experienced in the forensic analysis of documentation spanning long periods of time and also in the quantification of damages both in the context of civil claims and applications to the CICA. She is regularly instructed to advise pre litigation and to advise upon and participate in the resolution of CSE and other abuse claims by ADR. She has a good working knowledge of safeguarding issues / procedures, local authority/social work practices and child care legislation and has a particular interest in the historical development of social work practice.
Selected Cases
Sexual Abuse/Child Sexual Exploitation and Failure to Protect
- FZO v Andrew Adams (1) & London Borough of Haringey (2) [2018] EWHC 3584 (QB), in which the Court awarded damages in excess of £1m to the victim of sexual abuse and considered complex psychiatric issues
- Rowe v Sheffield City Council (17.05.17): instructed by the Defendant at a trial before HHJ Robinson (judgment available) involving allegations of conspiracy and misfeasance in public office
- Max Clifford: instructed by the well-known publicist in respect of civil claims arising from his convictions for sexual assault
- X PL (2015): represented a major PLC in addressing a cohort of claims by male Claimants who were sexually abused as children by an employee during his work based visits to international destinations over a period of 20 years
- Various Claimants v The Oaks Partnership and Dr Bernard Delaport: instructed by a partnership of GPs in their action to recover an indemnity from a fellow GP partner for damages paid to patients who were sexually abused by him during consultations
- JGE v The English Province of Our Lady of Charity and The Trustees of the Portsmouth Roman Catholic Diocesan Trust [2012]: sexual abuse of children in a care home: instructed by the ‘Sisters of Mercy’ who were not directly concerned with the issue of the vicarious liability of a Catholic priest, which issue was subsequently determined by the Court of Appeal
- ‘Haute de la Garenne’ care home abuse claims: instructed by the States of Jersey and advised upon and participated in the drafting of a compensation scheme to compensate the victims of this long standing abuse
- And see: http://www.gov.je/GOVERNMENT/DEPARTMENTS/HEALTHSOCIALSERVICES/Pages/HistoricAbuseRedress.aspx
- Jake Pierce v Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council [2008] EWCA Civ 1416: in which the Court of Appeal considered whether an adult Claimant should have been removed from his family as a child in order to prevent neglect and abuse at their hands
- X v XY: instructed by the Claimant who was raped by a carer whilst an inpatient at a psychiatric unit for children and who went on to be convicted and imprisoned for sexual offences committed by himself many years later
- X v Hillgreen Care Limited: instructed by the severely autistic Claimant who was raped by a fellow inpatient at a care home: the incident was then covered up by staff at the home and the Quality Care Commission
Examples of non-litigated cases:
- Is regularly instructed by Claimants and Defendants to advise on claims for sexual abuse perpetrated by teachers, priests, medical professionals, parents / step parents, foster parents, carers, youth workers and others in positions of trust and authority
- Is regularly instructed to advise pre-litigation and to advise upon and participate in the resolution of CSE and other abuse claims by ADR
- Has acted for the families of survivors who committed suicide as a result of their experiences of abuse
- Has acted for Claimants who have been abused in the context of attending ‘gay conversion’ therapy
- Is regularly instructed by Executors of the estates of deceased persons accused of sexual abuse in the management of claims from a liability and probate point of view
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)
