Colleen Cumbers

Clinical Negligence

Colleen’s recent work in this area includes:

• Advising the family of a patient who died following a late diagnosis of malignant melanoma. Issues included whether it was possible to establish breach of duty and causation, as well as practical issues such as the need for further expert evidence.
• Advising a claimant as to prospects of success in a proposed claim against an NHS dentist and NHS trust. The Claimant alleged that the dentist’s negligent assessment and NHS Trust’s wrongful refusal to provide alternative treatment led to him incurring the costs of private dental treatment.
• Settling the Defence on behalf of a private healthcare provider in a claim for delayed diagnosis allegedly resulting in a missed opportunity for surgical intervention and consequently permanent functional impact on the Claimant.
• Advising an NHS Trust in relation to the value of a claim arising from the death of a patient following a missed diagnosis of aortic dissection, liability having been admitted, and settling the Counter-Schedule of Loss to the claim which was pleaded at well over £1 million (during pupillage).
• Appearing against a KC in an infant approval hearing in which the wording of an order for a six-figure interim payment was disputed.

Selected Cases

Awards

• Inner Temple Pegasus Scholarship
• Inner Temple Duke of Edinburgh Entrance Award
• Inner Temple Major Scholarship
• Inner Temple Exhibition Scholarship
• Dean’s Award for Best Academic Performance in MA Law (Conversion)
• Various Finals Collections Prizes from Oriel College, University of Oxford
• Winner of Multiple Moots / Mock Trials incl. the Aqeel H. Noorali Moot Cup

News

• Members of Crown Office Chambers recognised for their Pro Bono work
• Crown Office Chambers welcomes two new tenants

Events

• Crown Office Chambers at The National Pupillage Fair 2024

Blogs

• How Can a Party Enforce a Foreign Arbitration Award in the Courts of England and Wales?

Qualifications

• BA French and German (First Class), University of Oxford
• MA Law (Conversion) (Distinction), University of Law
• LLM Master of Laws (Distinction), University of Law

Memberships

• Commercial Bar Association (COMBAR)
• Technology and Construction Bar Association (TECBAR)
• The Society of Construction Law (SCL)
• Professional Negligence Bar Association (PNBA)
• London Common Law & Commercial Bar Association (LCLCBA)
• Young International Arbitration Group (YIAG)
• Personal Injury Bar Association (PIBA)