Clair Wilson

Based at Thompsons Solicitors' Newcastle-upon-Tyne centre, Clair Wilson is a highly accomplished clinical negligence lawyer and a supervisor of colleagues in the clinical negligence and serious injury units which cover North Eastern England, Yorkshire & Humberside and Cumbria.

While Clair manages other serious injury and medical negligence solicitors, she also runs her own caseload involving particularly complex and high-value litigation. The excellence of her work has been recognised by The Law Society, which is the professional body for solicitors.

Clair represents clients who have undergone life-changing injuries and illnesses, caused or exacerbated by medical incompetence and delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis of potentially fatal conditions such as cancer. Sometimes patients have died as a direct result of the clinical errors.

The cases taken by Clair involve injuries sustained during delivery (such as cerebral palsy), injuries to the brain, loss of limbs and injuries to the spinal column (cauda equina syndrome in particular, an extremely serious condition involving pressure on the nerves at the bottom of the spine).

Clair became a solicitor in 2001, and during the first part of her career represented clients suffering from a range of personal injuries. Cases involved employer's liability, public liability and road accidents. Her work also involved people who were suffering stress, deafness, Repetitive Strain Injury and exposure to hazardous substances. Clair is committed - like Thompsons as a whole to representing exclusively the victims of injustice and not those who are responsible for their plight, or their insurance companies.

Clair is proud of her record of giving clients the best possible professional advice and cherishes the accolades she regularly receives from clients. Clair's aim is always to win the highest possible compensation in the shortest time possible.

In her spare time Clair spends as much time as possible with her husband and sons and enjoys fell walking in the Lake District.

Clair's case experience

• Secured £4 million for a former firefighter who suffered a traumatic brain injury during surgery to remove a brain tumour.
• Secured a £1.7 million settlement for a Unite member who had his right leg amputated above-the-knee after medical staff failed to diagnose a serious condition for almost a week.
• Secured £1.5 million for a 41-year-old man who, as a result of a delay in diagnosis and treatment of cauda equina syndrome, was left with life-changing injuries, including bilateral foot drop, mobility issues and bladder, bowel and sexual dysfunction.
• Recovered £800,000 for a man left with leg pain and weakness, and bladder, bowel and sexual dysfunction as a result of a delay in diagnosis and treatment of cauda equina syndrome.
• Secured £550,000 in compensation for a women diagnosed with terminal cervical cancer as a result of a misreported smear, securing an admission of liability and an interim payment of damages prior to her death aged 31.
• Recovered more than £528,000 for a client who was forced to undergo a below-the-knee amputation.
• Ensured a £170,000 settlement for a former horticulture teacher for children with special needs, following negligent replacement knee surgery.
• Secured a £250,000 compensation settlement, despite the hospital denying liability, for a client who developed discitis, a permanent disability, as a result of delay of diagnosis of cauda equina syndrome and a surgery gone wrong.
• Secured £48,000 in compensation for a client whose baby died when the midwife failed to monitor the unborn baby's heartrate during labour, when it would have shown abnormalities.

Professional membership

Clair is a member of the Law Society's clinical negligence panel which is testimony to her widely respected expertise and knowledge in her specialism. Clair is also a member of the medical negligence charity, AvMA (Action Against Medical Accidents), which provides free independent advice and support to people affected by medical accidents.

Testimonials

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Clair Wilson is superb. She combines great empathy with her clients with a robust approach in clinical negligence cases.

Legal 500

In Newcastle, Clair Wilson has developed an impressive portfolio of seriously-injured clients, in both the PI and clinical negligence fields. Her warm and engaging manner instantly puts clients at ease. She is currently handling a complex brain injury case arising from an industrial accident where a young client was working unsupervised for his father, in which she has shown enormous tact and sensitivity in managing the family dynamics.

Dave Knifton, Queen's Counsel

Just to let you know that I have completed the online survey, but wanted to drop you an email personally to say thank you very much for all your assistance in this matter, I would have no hesitation in recommending you to any one, requiring your services. The day I met you and my barrister in Leeds, you both made me feel very comfortable after feeling a little apprehensive and nervous before attending the appointment. Could you please pass on my sincere thanks to her also for her representation. Having obtained a positive outcome for my case, I feel much happier that I don�t need to worry financially about my future, and will be able to look after my personal well-being.

Clair's Former Client

Thank you again for all what Thompsons did for my husband in 2016. He is very grateful for all the effort and hard work everybody put in on his behalf in his case at court.

Clair's Former Client

Thank you. Very helpful with any queries I may have had.

Clair's Former Client

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