Sharon Burkill joined the Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury team as a Legal Director, in 2024, having previously been a Senior Associate at the firm between 2005 and 2016. Sharon re-joins Kingsley Napley following a five-year period in the medical negligence team at Irwin Mitchell.
She has undertaken a wide variety of medical negligence cases over the past 20+ years as well as having a background in education and public law. Sharon’s main areas of specialism include investigating negligence claims arising at or around the time of birth, or during neonatal care, and she regularly represents both parents and injured babies/children following a diagnosis of cerebral palsy, or other acquired brain injuries. She also acts in cases of delay in diagnosis of sepsis and meningitis, and other conditions. Her specialisms also include maternal injuries arising at time of birth, delay in diagnosis of cancer, cardiac cases, and varied surgical errors. She has also acted successfully in claims for wrongful birth. Sharon has also developed a specific interest in paediatric cases involving rare metabolic conditions which have not been identified leading to avoidable injury.
Sharon regularly pursues claims against the NHS, private doctors and hospitals, as well as general practitioners.
Sharon is compassionate and empathetic and is dedicated to helping her clients navigate the legal process to a successful outcome, whether they have been injured because of mistakes, incompetence, or systematic errors. She has a practical approach to litigating her cases, providing a bespoke and personal service to her clients, and seeks to simplify the process for her clients as much as possible.
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.
What clients and directories have said
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
