The UK Law of Negligence Explained

What is professional negligence?

In this article, we explore negligence laws in the UK, offer advice to help minimise your professional liability, and tell you how to seek help if you’re the victim of professional negligence.

Whenever you provide advice or services in a professional capacity, you’re entering into something called the duty of care. The duty of care assumes that both parties will behave professionally and deliver advice or services up to industry standards. However, if you fail to perform to these standards and your client suffers harm as a result of your actions—or inaction—you are culpable of professional negligence.

Professional negligence can take many forms, including (but not limited to):

Accountant negligence (e.g. an accountant gives poor financial advice that leads to loss)
Legal negligence (e.g. a lawyer who doesn’t prepare adequately and fails to provide legal advice up to reasonable standards)
Architectural negligence (e.g. an architect designs a building but fails to consider all government regulations)
Clinical negligence (e.g. a doctor doesn’t take necessary precautions before surgery)

Case Study: Donoghue v. Stevenson (aka. the “Snail in the Bottle” Case)

Until 1932, there was no precedent that held businesses accountable for the well-being of the users of their products. This changed with the historic “Snail in the Bottle” case.

The story goes that in 1928, May Donoghue was given a bottle of ginger beer by a friend. Unbeknownst to her, the bottle contained a dead snail. She drank most of the beverage before she found the snail, and consequently suffered gastroenteritis. Donoghue sued David Stevenson, the ginger beer’s manufacturer, for £500 damages.

This was an unprecedented case. Up to this point, plaintiffs were responsible for proving that negligence breached a contractual agreement. However, because Donoghue hadn’t purchased the beverage for herself, she technically hadn’t entered into an agreement with Stevenson. By ruling in favour of Donoghue, the House of Lords laid the groundwork for legal principles such as negligence and duty of care.

Who’s at risk of professional negligence claims?

All businesses are at risk of professional negligence claims. All it takes is one oversight or mistake that damages your client’s good reputation, loses them money, or causes personal injury—and voilà, you have a lawsuit on your hands.

But businesses that offer advice in a professional capacity are especially vulnerable. This includes, but is not limited to, accountants, architects, barristers, consultants, engineers, financial advisers, insurance brokers, investors, and surveyors.

People working in the medical care industry need to be especially diligent and always take proper care—according to the according to NHS Resolution, over 10,000 medical negligence claims were lodged, and £1.3 billion in compensation payments paid out, in 2014 and 2015.

Case Study: Mrs. B

According to Jeanette Whyman, a partner at Wright Hassall, one of her most notable negligence claims was a breast cancer victim (“Mrs. B”) who didn’t receive her histology results for over a year after diagnosis. The cancer spread to her lymph nodes during the long delay. When Mrs. B’s treatment finally began, she had to undergo treatments far beyond what she would have received had the histology been available earlier, including a mastectomy, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. This clinical negligence contributed to Mrs. B’s reduced life expectancy.

Can I make a professional negligence claim?

You can make a professional negligence claim provided these three things hold true:

1. Duty of care – You entered into a contract in which you were owed a duty of care. As evidenced in the Donoghue v. Stevenson case study, this does not always have to be a written agreement.

2. Breach of duty – The professional who advised you did not do so to the best of their ability and did not meet the standards that one would expect from a professional in their position.

3. Loss suffered – You have demonstrably suffered loss as a result of their negligence. If you suffered no loss, your claim would not usually succeed—even if the professional was negligent.

Note that a professional who gives advice that later turns out to be wrong is not necessarily being negligent, so long as their advice was based on solid evidence and they took every reasonable precaution. As long as the professional operated within reasonably expected standards and warned you of all potential risks, they cannot be blamed for the loss incurred.

However, if the above does not hold true and you’ve been the victim of professional negligence, you should hire professional legal representation and seek action. You must follow the procedures described in the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) 1998 or else you may incur penalties or have your case thrown out of court. These procedures show that you and the defendant have tried to settle your claim without taking it to court.

Filling out a Letter of Claim is one such condition you must meet. This involves corresponding directly with the individual who has wronged you to confirm the chronological summary of what transpired, your allegations, and whether or not you’ve appointed expert counsel. The negligent professional then has 21 days to respond to the letter and three months to investigate your claim.

Before writing a Letter of Claim, carefully consider what you expect from the defendant (e.g. an apology, safeguards, compensation, etc.) and get professional advice to weigh potential benefits against potential risks. Professional solicitors can also help you draft your claim, ensure that you have a strong case before you proceed, and even correspond with the negligent professional on your behalf.

Slater Gordon, Professional Negligence Solicitors, Irwin Mitchell, and all of the other law firms mentioned in this article’s case studies are just a few of the solicitors available to help you in the UK.

Case Study: Najeeb v. Great Ormond Street Hospital

Maisha Najeeb’s operating room mix-up is one of the more heart breaking examples of clinical negligence in recent years. In 2010, the 10-year-old girl was to receive treatment for a rare medical condition called arteriovenous malformation (AVM). The condition is normally treated through embolisation, which involves injecting glue into bleeding blood vessels and using dye to monitor blood flow.

Unfortunately, Great Ormond Street Hospital had no system in place to distinguish the two syringes. They accidentally injected glue instead of dye into an artery in Maisha’s brain, resulting in devastating and permanent brain damage. Maisha lost most of her bodily and cognitive abilities as a result; she is now in a wheelchair and requires lifelong care.

This lawsuit, settled by Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP, resulted in one of the UK’s largest medical negligence claim pay outs at an estimated £24 million over the course of Maisha’s lifetime.

How long do I have to make a claim?

Most professional negligence claims must be brought within six years of the breach of contract. This period may be extended if evidence of negligence only becomes apparent much later down the line, but negligence claims have a long stop date (i.e. the final date you can make a claim) of 15 years.

Case Study: Maharaj v. Johnson

Blake Morgan LLP settled a negligence claim between this claimant and defendant in 2015. The defendant was responsible for conveyancing property purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Maharaj, but the Deed of Transfer he’d overseen was defective. However, because the conveyance took place 22 years before the claim was brought forward, the Privy Council held that the case would be time-barred unless Maharaj suffered damage at the time of the property’s sale. The Court ruled that loss had occurred at the original conveyance; the case was consequently time barred.

How can I reduce the risk of professional negligence?

How you mitigate your liability will differ from profession to profession, but you can take some general precautions to help limit your risk. These precautions include:

Always act in the best interests of your client.
Warn clients of all potential risks.
Keep your workspace safe.
Find all the information you need before proceeding (e.g. medical history, government regulations, etc.)
Only use tools and equipment for their intended purpose.
Properly train your staff.
Ensure all staff members are properly certified.
Provide proper maintenance and supervision whenever necessary.
Don’t provide advice outside of your purview.
Never share confidential client data.
Take out professional indemnity insurance.

Case Study: Dunhill v. W Brook & Co. and Crossley

In early 2016, 4 New Square’s team successfully defended a claim made against a firm of solicitors and a barrister. The claimant accused the defendants of professional negligence, alleging that she’d been misadvised to settle a personal injury claim for less than she was due. Justice Elisabeth Laing reviewed the evidence, found that due diligence was taken, and dismissed the claims against each defendant.

In the end, even the best-prepared professionals can and probably will make a mistake at some point. When this happens, the best way to protect your business is with professional indemnity cover. Professional indemnity covers you against costly legal fees and can even help you pay out should the worst come to pass.

For more information visit our page on Professional Indemnity Insurance or check out our Guide to Professional Liability. With 24/7 legal advice for all indemnity policyholders, we’re always ready to help.

Professional indemnity insurance from Towergate

At Towergate, our professional liability policy provides cover for both professional indemnity and public liability meaning you only need one policy. Visit our professional indemnity insurance page or call 0330 123 5128 for more information.

About the author

Alison Wild Bcom Hons MAAT MATT Taxation Technician Commercial Tax Pensions Insurance And Marketing Specialist Author Alison Wild BCom (Hons), MAAT, MATT, Taxation Technician is a highly respected industry professional who has been working with and advising SMEs in areas including tax, pensions, insurance and marketing for over 25 years. She is a member of the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) and Association of Tax Technicians (ATT) and also has over 20 years' experience as a residential landlord.