Pritesh Rathod

Inquests

Pritesh has a significant practice in inquest work. Pritesh regularly appears in the Coroner’s Court in both Middleton and Jameson inquests, representing bereaved families, NHS Trusts and medical practitioners. His cases tend to relate to medical care and often feature in the local or national media. In 2016, Pritesh represented the family of Fallan Kurek in a widely publicised inquest, who died following a DVT after taking the contraceptive pill, where the Coroner found that further assessment of the risk of DVT did not take place when she presented to a minor injuries unit complaining of chest pains and shortness of breath.

Pritesh is also a contributing author to The Inquest Book: The Law of Coroners and Inquests (2016, Hart Publishing), in which he wrote the chapter on funding.

Selected Cases

• Inquest Touching Upon the Death of Fallan Kurek (2016, Cannock Coroner’s Court): Represented the family of the deceased in a widely publicised inquest relating a 21 year old woman who died from a DVT as a result of taking the contraceptive pill. The Coroner held that further assessment of the risk of DVT did not take place when she presented to a minor injuries unit complaining of chest pains and shortness of breath.
• Inquest Touching Upon the Death of Robert Goddard (2014, Lincoln Coroners’ Court): Represented the family of Robert Goddard who died shortly after his birth. Robert’s mother’s gestational diabetes had not been diagnosed antenatally, meaning that she did not receive Consultant-led care. Furthermore, her CTG trace was abnormal for three hours before the decision was made to deliver Robert by Caesarean section. Robert was born in a very poor condition as a result of hypoxia, and died two days later. The Coroner found that failings in midwifery and obstetric care contributed to Robert’s death. The inquest attracted press attention.
• Inquest Touching Upon the Death of William Avery-Wright (2013, West Sussex Coroner’s Court): Represented the family of William Avery-Wright, a 13 year old pupil at Worth School, who was killed after a collision with a motor vehicle when crossing a 60mph road between two school sites. The Coroner concluded that the school’s rule that pupils in the boy’s year group should not cross the road without adult supervision “was not enforced or adhered to”.