Cara Guthrie

Cara specialises in clinical negligence, and has done so since she started in practice 20 years ago. She also acts in personal injury cases, inquests, lawyers’ negligence cases and in the Court of Protection.

Her clinical negligence practice straddles a wide range of medical issues, including complex and serious cerebral palsy, brain injury and spinal injury cases. She is instructed both on behalf of claimants and the full range of healthcare defendants. Cara has undoubted expertise in quantum and is a formidable negotiator. Her instructing solicitors have described her as “decisive, focused, efficient and excellent with complex cases” and “fantastic at quantum and a great negotiator”.

She has been ranked as a leading junior (Band 1) in clinical negligence in both Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 since 2011.

Cara’s professional negligence work generally arises from the management by solicitors and barristers of personal injury or clinical negligence litigation, reflecting her experience and knowledge of these fields. She is instructed by both claimants and defendants. She is a tenacious oral advocate, and successfully defended the barrister defendant in Dunhill v W Brook & Co [2018] EWCA Civ 50 at first instance and on appeal. Her instructing solicitors have described her as “brilliant on her feet”.

She represents both families and hospital trusts in inquests, often involving deaths in hospital. She has acted in cases of suicide, neglect and unlawful killing as well as natural causes.

She also undertakes personal injury cases, usually instructed on behalf of brain injured claimants.

Cara’s Court of Protection work involves health and welfare decisions on behalf of P, their families and hospitals or local authorities. Most recently she has represented P in a dispute about the appropriate placement for P on her discharge from hospital.