Personal Injury
Farrah has over twenty years’ experience in general personal injury litigation. She now has three main areas of specialism in which she is regularly instructed:
Brain and spinal injury claims
Farrah is an expert in brain and spinal injury claims with an in-depth understanding of neurological and neuropsychological medico-legal issues. Brain injuries often overlap with serious psychiatric injuries, and drawing from her extensive clinical negligence experience, Farrah is adept at forensically analysing the records and expert medical evidence and managing these cases involving large numbers of medical experts and complex medical issues. Farrah has dealt with cases involving brain and spinal injuries arising
at birth, in childhood and later in life, and has experience of cases involving subtle brain injury.
Psychiatric injury claims
Farrah has extensive experience in acting for defendants in stress at work, bullying and harassment claims where claimants have suffered severe psychiatric/psychological injury. Such claims are often highly sensitive involving complex medical and legal issues. Farrah has considerable experience in managing these claims to trial or settlement. Cross examination of claimants who have suffered serious psychological/psychiatric injury is critical in many of these claims and Farrah has considerable experience of doing this sensitively but leaving no stone unturned. She is equally adept at handling the witnesses who feel that they have wrongly being accused of causing psychiatric injury.
Abuse claims
Farrah has represented both claimants and defendants in abuse claims for the last twenty years. These have often involved analysis of complex psychiatric evidence when dealing with causation. More recently, she has represented defendants in claims arising out of abuse in care homes, schools and hospitals dealing with limitation, liability and quantum in these complex cases. Farrah was appointed to the Independent Appeal Panel of the Lambeth Children’s Home Redress Scheme chaired by Sir John Goldring.
Selected Cases
- KP v (1) Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust & (2) Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (2023) – Acting for the defendants in a claim where the management of the claimant’s mental health in the community and his placement following discharge from hospital to a care home is criticized. It is alleged that this caused the claimant to jump from a height sustaining serious life-threatening injuries.
- CS v Essex Partnership NHS Trust (2022) – Acted for the Defendant mental health trust in a claim where the Claimant, having been discharged from a mental health unit, jumped off a building sustaining serious injuries. The claim was discontinued on day 5 of the trial in the High Court in June 2022.
- CY v A Private Psychologist (2022) – Acting for a private psychologist in a claim brought by a patient who suffered from severe bipolar disorder, who after a consultation, jumped out of the window of the toilets.
- Williams v Securitas Ltd (2021) – Alleged bullying and harassment and conspiracy claim. Acting for the Defendant in a trial due to be heard in August 2021.
- Armstrong v Cook (2020) – Acting for the Defendant insurer in a road traffic case where the Claimant was subsequently discharged from hospital without adequate anti-coagulation. The Claimant subsequently developed a pulmonary embolism leading to a heart attack and brain damage.
- Various Claimants v Leicestershire Police (2020) – Acted on behalf of the Defendant forces in settlement meetings involving Claimants who had allegedly suffered psychiatric injury as a result of working in the Child Sexual Exploitation Unit.
- JC v Staffordshire County Council (2020) – Acted for the Defendant Council in the claim brought by the deceased’s dependents for damages caused by her suicide allegedly caused by stress at work. Claim compromised.
- KL v North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service (2020) – Acted for the Defendant in a case brought by the Claimant fire fighter alleged bullying and harassment. Claim compromised.
- KM v Durham County Council (2019) – Acted for the Defendant Council in a stress at work case.
- AA v Birmingham City Council (2018) – Claim for damages in excess of £1 million for psychiatric injury allegedly caused by occupational stress, bullying and harassment. The Claimant only recovered about £10,000 for an exacerbation of a pre-existing condition. All allegations of bullying and harassment were dismissed.
- Easton v B&Q PLC [2015] EWHC Civ 880 (QB) – Claim for damages in the region of £1 million for psychiatric injury caused by occupational stress.
- Hodges v Aegis Defence Services (BVI) Ltd [2014] EWCA Civ 1449 – Construction of insuring provisions within contract of engagement following the death of the claimant’s husband whilst providing security services in Iraq.
- Davidson v Aegis Defence Services (BVI) Ltd [2013] EWCA Civ 1586 – Important appellate authority on s.33 of the Limitation Act 1980 and its application to a personal injury claim arising from the conflict in Iraq.
- Clark v Havering London Borough Council & Anor [2007] EWHC 3427 (QB)
Events
News
- Our second six pupils are now accepting instructions
- Crown Office Chambers welcomes three new pupils
Qualifications
- R G Lawson Prize for highest mark in Public International Law
- LLB, University of Manchester
Memberships
- Professional Negligence Bar Association
- Personal Injury Bar Association
- London Common Law and Commercial Bar Association
Recommendations
“Farrah is a phenomenal cross-examiner.”…”She is particularly good with difficult clients or knotty cases.”…”She knows cases inside out and is prepared exceptionally well.”
Chambers & Partners, 2025
“Farrah is extremely hard working, an excellent advocate and always responsive.”
Legal 500, 2025
“Farrah is extremely hard working, an excellent advocate and always responsive.”
Legal 500, 2025
“Farrah is a brilliant advocate on her feet. She lives and breathes each case, combining meticulous preparation with a real ability to foresee issues before they even arise in the course of trial.”…. “She is a real class act.”
Chambers & Partners, 2024
“Farrah has the incredible ability to distil complex legal and medical issues and advise on strategy in a straightforward format. “
Legal 500, 2024
“Farrah provides her advice in such a straightforward and easy to understand way.” “Farrah has a great rapport with clients. Her forensic approach makes clients feel at ease at conference.” “She lives and breathes the cases that she takes on, and fundamentally understands the issues.”
Chambers & Partners, 2023
“She takes a forensic approach when dealing with complex medical matters and in cross-examination at trial.” “She’s great on her feet.”
Chambers & Partners, 2022
“She gets to the crux of a matter with minimal fuss. Excellent on her feet, tenacious and articulate.”
Legal 500, 2022
“An unflappable barrister who manages difficult clients, witnesses and opposing counsel exceptionally well.”
Legal 500, 2021
“She has a very calm and collected demeanour which she uses to her advantage at hearings and in mediations.”; “Her attention to detail is impeccable. She’s also strong on her feet, really reassuring with clients and always well prepared.”
Chambers & Partners, 2021
“An excellent barrister who is very approachable.”
Chambers & Partners, 2020
“Very impressive in conference with clients and clearly experienced in this field.”…”A strong advocate who knows her stuff.”
Chambers & Partners, 2018