Sharon Burkill

Legal Director

+44 (0)20 7566 5280 SBurkill@kingsleynapley.co.uk

Our People

Sharon is a Legal Director in Kingsley Napley’s Clinical Negligence team with more than 20 years’ experience representing children, parents and families affected by serious medical negligence and healthcare failures. She is widely recognised for her expertise in catastrophic injury claims, with a particular specialism in complex birth injury and neonatal negligence.

Sharon acts for children and families in claims arising from negligent care during pregnancy, labour, delivery and the neonatal period, including cases involving cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury, and other life changing conditions. She regularly advises families whose children have been affected by oxygen deprivation at birth, delays in delivery, failures in foetal monitoring, neonatal negligence and other avoidable complications resulting in serious injury. She also acts in claims involving birth trauma and maternal injuries, helping families secure financial support needed to meet both their immediate and long-term care needs.

Alongside her birth injury practice, Sharon represents clients across a broad range of clinical negligence claims. This includes delayed diagnosis and misdiagnosis of serious conditions such as sepsis, meningitis, cancer and cardiac conditions, as well as surgical negligence and wrongful birth claims. She has developed a particular interest in complex paediatric cases involving rare metabolic disorders, where delays in diagnosis have resulted in avoidable injury and long-term health consequences.

At the heart of Sharon’s practice is a commitment to helping families understand what went wrong, obtaining the answers and accountability they deserve, and securing compensation to fund rehabilitation, specialist therapies, education, care and accommodation. She acts against NHS trusts, private hospitals, consultants and GPs, and has extensive experience handling high-value claims involving substantial lifelong care requirements.

Beyond her casework, Sharon is passionate about supporting the wider community of families affected by birth related injuries. As such she leads Kingsley Napley’s partnership with the Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity (DVLCC), which supports children under five with cerebral palsy and other motor learning impairments, spearheading the firm’s fundraising efforts on the charity’s behalf.

+44 (0)20 7566 5280 Connect on LinkedIn SBurkill@kingsleynapley.co.uk Download vCard

“a highly experienced lawyer in the field of clinical negligence; she uses that experience wisely to cut straight to the heart of a complex case.”

Legal 500 UK _ 2027

Thank you for everything you have done for her and for us as a family. This job may be disheartening at times but remember all the good you do. Because of you, she will always get the care, therapy and equipment she needs and because of you we know what happened, and no longer blame ourselves. Because of you there is some justice for these children that are horrendously neglected and hope for families struggling to continue. Words cannot express our gratitude.

A Client

Recent and notable cases

April 2024: securing a full admission of liability in a complex birth injury case with multiple causative factors, resulting in cerebral palsy. The value of the claim will now be quantified, and substantial interim damages will be paid to assist with the rehabilitation of the Claimant.
ANLX December 2023: Failure to diagnose a rare metabolic condition in a child, resulting in permanent acquired brain injury, intractable epilepsy, and cerebral palsy. The client was awarded a lump sum of c£23.7 million pounds (capitalised). Annual payments for care were agreed with the Defendant at £485,000 as part of the overall settlement.
A child v West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust. Birth injury/cerebral palsy. Liability admitted. Substantial interim damages secured pending settlement.
A child v East Surrey Hospital NHS Trust. Birth injury/cerebral palsy. Liability admitted. Substantial interim damages received pending settlement and clarity of prognosis.
SC v Bedfordshire Hosp NHS Trust. Delay in diagnosis and treatment of oral cancer, resulting in extensive additional surgeries, speech impediment and loss – Settled for £270k out of court.
ABC v GST NHS Trust and Mr X (Private Consultant). Failure to diagnose a post-surgical bowel injury following an ovarian cystectomy procedure performed during an elective caesarean section leading to the development of an abscess, sepsis, and abdominal adhesions. The injury was believed to have arisen from removal of a surgical vacuum drain. The Claimant accepted an award of c£200,000 compensation.
Mother v West Herts Hospitals NHS Trust. Maternal PTSD arising from birth trauma and labour mismanagement. £65k.
Claimant (A protected party) v The Wellington Hospital (HCA) and others. Claim related to delay in diagnosis and treatment of post cardiac surgical complications (cardiac tamponade) resulting in acquired permanent brain injury. The Claimant had a very limited life expectancy. Damages agreed in excess of £2 million.
GD v St George’s Hospitals NHS Trust and others. Negligent post-operative cardiac care/treatment resulting in sepsis. Settlement in excess of £800k
H (a minor and protected party). Post birth brain injury/cerebral palsy caused by kernicterus/bilirubin toxicity. Liability admitted. Settled in excess of £27m
JJ v GP and NHS Hospital Trust. Serious injury following a failure by a GP to provide adequate antibiotic treatment for a breast abscess arising from breastfeeding, and a further failure to recognise the development of sepsis resulting in significant tissue loss, psychiatric injury. Settlement in excess of £700k.

Connect on LinkedIn

Sharon Burkill

About Sharon

Recent and notable cases

Claim for infant brain injury settled

Unique and United on World Cerebral Palsy Day 2025

Kingsley Napley’s Medical Negligence Team ‘walks together’ with the Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity

Hypoxic Ischaemic Encephalopathy and Brain Damage Claims

Bile Duct Injuries: Is There a Case for Compensation?

Claim for infant brain injury settled

Unique and United on World Cerebral Palsy Day 2025

Kingsley Napley’s Medical Negligence Team ‘walks together’ with the Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity

Hypoxic Ischaemic Encephalopathy and Brain Damage Claims

Bile Duct Injuries: Is There a Case for Compensation?

Connect with Sharon