Wendy Jane Owen
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Personal Profile
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Wendy initially trained as a solicitor following qualification in 1994, specialising in clinical negligence and health law. She worked in a national law firm and was a made a partner there in 1999. She acted largely for NHS Trusts and other health related organisations, defending them in clinical negligence claims and representing them at high profile inquests.
She was called to the Bar in 2002 and practises in the fields of clinical negligence and personal injury law. She continues to appear on a regular basis at inquests.
A native of North Wales, Wendy is a fluent Welsh speaker. She also speaks German fluently and has a working knowledge of French.
Wendy also sits on the Wales Circuit as a Deputy District Judge (Civil).
She is a member of APIL, PNBA, PIBA and the Merseyside Medico-Legal Society.
She is recommended in the Legal 500 (2011 edition).
Wendy has always enjoyed giving talks and providing training to clients and health professionals. Recently, she has given talks to solicitors on matters such as causation in the light of Bailey v MOD, Ogden 6, including the significance of disability when bringing a claim for loss of earnings, part 36 and limitation. She has also been involved in several mock trial training sessions in conjunction with medical experts, one relating to a laparoscopic cholecystectomy (for lawyers and the Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons) and another relating to the management of labour.
Areas of Expertise:
Email: clerk@stjohnsbuildings.co.uk
Telephone: 0151 243 6000
Personal Injury
Wendy advises both claimants and defendants in personal injury matters, including occupiers', employers' and public liability claims. She will consider acting on a conditional fee basis where appropriate. When acting for claimants in particular, she favours a hands on approach, often advising the claimant in conference initially. Her training in the past as a solicitor helps her to work as a team with her instructing solicitors. Many of her cases are of a high value and include complex financial loss claims, including extensive loss of earnings claims and dependency claims.
Clinical Negligence
Wendy is an experienced clinical negligence practitioner, having worked in this area since she was a trainee solicitor in 1992. As a result, she has an excellent knowledge of the workings of the NHS, both within the acute and community sector. She also acts in cases involving medical and nursing issues in the prison setting and in special hospitals.
She has advised in a wide variety of clinical negligence cases, including death caused by a delay in the diagnosis of a subarachnoid haemorrhage, tears sustained during childbirth, shoulder dystocia, delay in treatment of cauda equina syndrome, wrongful birth, complications following a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, delay in diagnosis of fractures (particularly fractured hips in the elderly), delay in diagnosis of dislocated hip by health visitor, opthalmic surgery, bariatric (weight loss) surgery, cosmetic / plastic surgery and drug overdose. She also acts in dental negligence cases.
In many cases, she acts from the very beginning of the case to its conclusion, representing families of the deceased at inquests and then continuing with the litigation. She has represented a widow at a complex 6 week long inquest involving clinical negligence matters relating to medical treatment from the prison and NHS services. She subsequently drafted the court papers and schedule of loss which resulted in a six figure settlement for the family. She has also represented bereaved parents at inquests and in the subsequent litigation.
Public/Administrative Law
Wendy has always enjoyed advising on health related law, including issues relating to consent to treatment, organ retention, do not attempt resuscitation decisions and withdrawal of nutrition and hydration. As a solicitor, she represented the two NHS Trusts in the cases of NHS Trust “A” v Mrs M (2001) Fam 348 Fam Div, the first case to consider the impact on medical treatment jurisprudence of the implementation of the Human Rights Act 1998. She now appears in the Court of Protection in matters relating to treatment issues.