"Charlie is at the top of his game. He can pick up a case and have an instant grasp of the evidence and the likely legal arguments."
Chambers & Partners 2026
"He is first and foremost a formidable advocate with an easy charm and forensic eye for detail. He is liked and admired by the Bar and Bench alike."
Chambers & Partners 2026
"Charles Woodhouse KC is persuasive and articulate, and his preparation is meticulous. In court, his submissions are measured and eloquent and his cross-examination is formidable."
Chambers & Partners 2026
"He is a tenacious barrister who can dissect the key issues in complex cases in order to get to the pertinent points. He is great with clients and experts alike."
Charlie Woodhouse KC specialises in personal injury, clinical negligence and inquests.
He was ranked as a ‘Star Individual’ junior for personal injury by Chambers & Partners and has been described in the legal directories as “a superb advocate with a fantastic success rate” who “… has the full range – he’s very good with clients, and a fantastic advocate who wins difficult cases. His attention to detail is excellent”; “He’s very confident and accessible. He builds up a good rapport with witnesses; he’s engaging and clear but not dogmatic”. Charlie is particularly “recognised for his insurance defence practice”. Charlie was named ‘Personal Injury Junior of the Year‘ at the Chambers UK Bar Awards 2021.
Charlie has enormous experience acting for Claimants and Defendants, predominantly in high-value and serious or fatal injury cases arising from road traffic, industrial and other accidents. His caseload includes accidents resulting in brain injury, spinal cord injury, amputation and cases involving contested mental capacity. Charlie has a particularly strong reputation acting in claims by members of the armed forces and for acting for insurers in cases involving complex regional pain syndrome, chronic pain and associated disorders, including fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and functional neurological disorder.
He has considerable experience of claims that arise out of accidents, often fatal, involving industrial machinery including cranes, trains and other engineering equipment in which Charlie is regularly instructed to act at inquest and in civil proceedings.
Charlie has been ranked as a leading junior in clinical negligence by the The Legal 500 since 2009 where they observe that he “grasps medical issues quickly”.
He has considerable experience in clinical negligence acting at inquest and in civil proceedings in a wide range of clinical accident claims including fatal accident claims, obstetric negligence claims and claims arising from delayed diagnoses.
Charlie took silk in March 2022.
Professional Recommendations
“First class advocacy skills as one would expect at this level. Takes control of the room and is very persuasive achieving excellent outcomes. Superb client care.”
The Legal 500 2025
“Charlie is the best personal injury silk at the Bar. His trial advocacy is second-to-none. He captivates judges with his approach.”
The Legal 500 2025
“Is a robust negotiator and adopts a firm, no nonsense approach without being confrontational. Excellent quantum analysis and a sharp mind for facts and figures. He handles clients with sensitivity and skill.”
The Legal 500 2025
“He is very approachable, well prepared and able to deal with clients from all sorts of backgrounds.”
Chambers & Partners 2025
“He is a really robust trial lawyer. A very good advocate, he is firm and no-nonsense in his approach and gets good results.”
Chambers & Partners 2025
“Charles’ advice was of an excellent standard. He is obviously incredibly clever and excellent on the law.”
Chambers & Partners 2025
“Charles is excellent on both liability and quantum. He has an ability to identify the central points in a case and get to the heart of the matter.”
Chambers & Partners 2025
“Charlie has the ability to see through the complex issues and put together a practical plan of action going forward.”
Chambers & Partners 2025
“Charles has a good eye for detail and is great in trial.”
Chambers & Partners 2024
“Charles is a good opponent with a fiery focus who sees the way through a case quickly. He’s a very direct, forthright and an attractive advocate.”
Chambers & Partners 2024
“Charlie has strong attention to detail and the ability to grasp and analyse information quickly and accurately and deliver strong advice.”
Chambers & Partners 2024
“His advocacy is superb and he has the ability to hold the attention of the court. His cross-examination of experts is robust, fair and effective.”
Chambers & Partners 2024
“He has exceptional client care skills. Clients warm to him immediately and he puts the room at ease.”
Chambers & Partners 2024
“Charles is a great silk who commands authority in a conference and displays great empathy with clients.”
Chambers & Partners 2024
“He has a very strong analytical eye and is great on his feet and with clients.”
Chambers & Partners 2024
“He has an ability to strip matters back to the core issues and develop a strategic plan going forward.”
Chambers & Partners 2024
“He has the command of the court room and his advocacy is a joy to observe.”
The Legal 500 2024
“Charles has very strong analytical skills and the ability to see through to the crux of a case without difficulty. “
The Legal 500 2024
Expertise
Clinical Negligence
Charlie has 20 years’ experience of acting at inquest and in civil proceedings in a wide range of clinical accident claims and he is ranked as a leading silk in clinical negligence. Most of his caseload involves high-value or medically complex claims including fatality during the course of medical treatment, perinatal injury to mother and child, delayed diagnosis of cancer and iatrogenic injury in the course of treatment (particularly injury to the bowel). Charlie has a particular interest and considerable experience in representing members of the armed forces in respect of treatment received in both a military and civilian setting and he has represented a number of elite and professional sportsmen and women in respect of the treatment of career-ending injuries.
Charlie is described in the legal directories as “a superb advocate with a fantastic success rate” who “…has the full range – he’s very good with clients, and a fantastic advocate who wins difficult cases. His attention to detail is excellent”, “He’s very confident and accessible. He builds up a good rapport with witnesses; he’s engaging and clear but not dogmatic”.
Recent Cases
Matuszczak v Mid-Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust. A claim for psychiatric illness resulting from the still birth of the Claimant’s baby.
Shoniwa v Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust. A claim for obstetric negligence leading to asphyxia and brain injury to the Claimant’s son and severe psychiatric injury to the Claimant.
Byrne v MoD. A claim for the negligent treatment of a knee injury suffered by a serving soldier and her subsequent deployment to Afghanistan, leading to subsequent re-injury and ultimately a below knee amputation. Complicated causation issues with similar arguments to those in Wright v Cambridge Medical Group [2011] EWCA Civ 669.
Ramesh v St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust. A fatal accident claim arising from the Claimant’s husband’s death following vascular injury sustained during the course of an angiogram.
Arrands v Southport & Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust. A claim arising from iatrogenic bowel injury during the course of arthroscopic surgery leading to severe debilitating injury and a permanent ileostomy.
Meade v Timeyin. A claim arising from the delayed diagnosis of cancer.
Inquests
Charlie has considerable experience of representing interested parties in the Coroner’s Court. He is often instructed on behalf of interested parties in inquests arising out of industrial accidents and death arising as a result of medical treatment. He regularly appears in inquests before a jury.
Recent Cases
Inquest touching the death of Erjon Hyseni. Represented a fairground operator at a widely reported jury inquest into the death of a young child at a fairground.
Inquest touching the death of Adrian Roberts. Represented the deceased’s employer at a jury inquest into the death of an abattoir worker at work.
Inquest touching the death of Kathleen Haines. Acted for British Oxygen at an inquest into the death of a patient at Royal United Hospital, Bath who suffered injuries as a result of serious fire on the intensive care unit.
Inquest touching the death of Parameswaran Ramesh. Represented the widow of the deceased who died following injury caused in the course of an angiogram.
Inquest touching the death of Lee Friend. Represented an interested party responsible for erecting temporary traffic lights at the scene of a fatal road traffic accident at a jury inquest.
Inquest touching the death of Anne Weller. Represented the family of the deceased who died shortly after being discharged home from hospital with poorly controlled vomiting.
Inquest touching the death of René Tkacik. Represented the widow of the deceased who died in an accident on a Crossrail construction site at a jury inquest.
Personal Injury
Charlie is recognised as one of the leading personal injury silks at the Bar. He is ranked by Chambers & Partners and is ranked in both London Bar and on the Western Circuit. Whilst legal directories record that Charlie is “…very much beloved by the insurance clients”, he also has vast experience acting for Claimants in a wide range of cases.
Most of Charlie’s caseload involves high-value, complex or catastrophic injury and fatal accident claims including brain injury, spinal cord injury and amputation. Charlie’s vast experience of dealing with medical and non-medical experts makes him particularly popular in contested quantum cases or cases in which there are significant disputes as to medical causation.
Charlie has developed particular expertise acting for insurers, in claims for Complex Regional Pain Disorder, Chronic Pain and associated disorders including Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Functional Neurological Disorder. In 2015 alone, Charlie was involved in the settlement of Chronic Pain claims with a pleaded value of in excess of £5,000,000. Charlie regularly lectures on this area of specialism, often in conjunction with leading medical experts.
Charlie has considerable experience of acting for members of the armed forces in claims against the Ministry of Defence and other Defendants. His understanding of the military way of life, rank and salary structures and military career paths enable him to create an immediate rapport with serving and former members of the armed forces.
He is regularly instructed by insurers in respect of fraudulent claims or claims in which policy cover is avoided by virtue of the insured’s conduct. Recent examples of such cases include claims involving racing by multiple drivers resulting in multi vehicle fatal accidents and a claim involving the reckless use of a car to injure several of a group of pedestrians by an unidentified driver.
Recent Cases
Shepherd v Yates. Acted for the Defendant in this case in which the Claimant suffered spinal cord injury resulting in paraplegia in a road traffic accident. Settled at a JSM for £2.275M.
Harrowven v Poole Borough Council. Acted for the Defendant in this case in which the Claimant suffered a below knee amputation following an accident at work when he was knocked off a bicycle by a dustbin lorry. The case was complicated by the risk of further surgery leading to above knee amputation and settled at a JSM for substantial damages covered by a confidentiality agreement.
Wait v Atkins. Acted for the Claimant in this complex claim in which a pedestrian was struck by a taxi on a country lane at night sustaining very serious brachial plexus and orthopaedic injuries. Primary liability, contributory negligence and quantum were all in issue. Settled at a JSM for £250,000 (equivalent to £750,000 on a full liability basis).
Tkacikova v BAM Nuttal Ltd. Acted for the Claimant in this fatal accident claim arising out of the death of a concrete sprayer working on a Crossrail construction site. Acted at inquest and in successful civil proceedings.
Thomas v Zurich Insurance. Acted for the Defendant in this claim in which the Claimant developed Fibromyalgia following a road traffic accident. Pleaded at in excess of £1.5M the claim settled at a JSM for £550,000.
Miller v TfL & Ringway Jacob. Acted for the Defendant in a chronic pain claim pleaded at about £800,000 and settled at a JSM for £175,000.
Gupta v Baverstock School. Successfully represented the Defendant at the trial of liability of a claim arising out of a tripping accident at work leading to wrist fracture and complex regional pain syndrome.
