Graham Bell
Partner
Specialisms and expertise
Graham has practised clinical negligence work since 1993 and also continues to be involved in high value personal injury cases including head injury and industrial disease. He is a member of the Law Society clinical negligence and personal injury accreditation schemes, a member of the Medico-Legal Society, a fellow of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers and the legal adviser to a local Citizens Advice Bureau.
His clinical negligence work has involved a wide range of treatment including obstetrics and catastrophic injury, gynaecology, orthopaedics, A&E, oncology, cardiology, neurology, haematology, general surgery, paediatrics, psychiatry, fertility treatment, microbiology, ophthalmology, general practice and dentistry.
He was the first solicitor to win a cerebral palsy case funded by a conditional fee agreement.
Notable cases
- Howard v Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust (2006) - the High Court approved a £2.5 million settlement of this contested cerebral palsy case where the claimant alleged that the medical records had been retrospectively, and fraudulently, altered to disguise mismanagement of the birth.
- AB (by her litigation friend, the Official Solicitor) v South East Coast Strategic Health Authority (2007) - negligent neo-natal oxygen management led to retinopathy of prematurity and blindness. The court approved a settlement of £2.25 million which was the largest sum ever awarded for this type of injury.
- K v South of England Strategic Health Authority (2009) - at counsel's request took over case involving mismanagement of birth in 1979 leading to unusual pattern of injury including learning difficulties and hearing loss. Settled for lump sum and periodical payments worth £2.3 million. Also settled case of the claimant's mother who suffered endocrine injury as a result of mismanaged uterine haemorrhage. The mother's case was over 20 years limitation barred.
- GB v South East London Strategic Health Authority (2009). The claimant was catastrophically damaged as a result of being given an overdose of chloramphenicol to treat suspected neonatal meningitis. A number of vital medical records had been lost and the legal officer of the health authority swore an affidavit confirming that despite extensive searches the records could not be found. Graham was able to locate the records after nearly 30 years. The case settled for damages of over £3 million, including periodical payments to privately fund the claimant's future care.
Profile
Graham read law at university and graduated in 1990 with a first. He later obtained a master’s degree in health law and won prizes including that for best post graduate student. He joined Thomson Snell and Passmore in 2002 and became a partner in 2006.
He was recognised amongst leading practitioners in The legal 500: 'Graham Bell is a clever, practical lawyer' (2009) and who 'leaves no stone unturned' (2010).
At home he enjoys travel and architecture.
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