Victoria Webb

Victoria has a growing interest in public law and inquiries and is regularly instructed by interested persons in relation to inquests (including jury and Article 2 inquests).

She has acted in inquests into work-related deaths, road traffic accidents, deaths in custody and deaths raising concerns over provision of healthcare.

She is currently instructed on the Undercover Policing Inquiry.

Victoria is establishing a significant clinical negligence practice and is regularly instructed by Claimants and Defendants in a broad range of medical matters. She has drafted pleadings, advised, and acted in matters relating to dental treatment, delayed diagnosis, misdiagnosis, infection control, failed surgical procedures and informed consent. Cases include:

• Advice to a Claimant arising out of mismanagement of a stoma site requiring surgical intervention and causing significant pain, trauma and distress
• A high-value brain injury claim arising out of alleged negligent handling of Claimant’s birth (junior to Ben Collins QC)
• A multi-track matter relating to alleged failure to diagnose soldier’s PTSD following tour of duty;
• A multiple-claimant High Court claim against a dentist, a dental nurse and the dental practice, arising out of alleged failures to follow infection control procedures;
• A high-value military claim arising from the long-term management of compartment syndrome raising allegations of negligence in both primary and secondary healthcare (junior to Ben Collins QC).

Victoria has solid inquest experience which is applicable to all areas of her practice.

Victoria is a member of the Professional Negligence Bar Association.

Victoria’s busy personal injury practice comprises drafting, advisory and advocacy for claimants and defendants in fast and multi-track trials and other hearings. She has solid experience in employer’s liability, public liability, defective premises and RTA matters, and cases raising issues of exaggeration or fundamental dishonesty. She has growing expertise in higher value multi-track claims, including those involving chronic pain and fatal accidents, and has experience of claims arising out of service in the armed forces, in prison settings and care settings.

She is experienced in relation to claims concerning non-recent sexual grooming and abuse of minors in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s by employees or volunteers in school and club settings (acting for both Claimants and Defendants).  She  was junior counsel for the Claimant, led by Mary O’Rourke QC, in a nine-day High Court trial of historical sexual abuse claims in a Catholic seminary school in the 1970s; and has represented Defendant organisations in high value matters.

Victoria’s practice had a focus on employment law for several years, which experience complements her personal injury practice.

Recent and notable cases include:

• Murray v Devenish [2018] EWHC 1895 QB: nine-day High Court trial of sexual abuse allegations from the 1970s (led by Mary O’Rourke QC). Murray v Devenish [2017] EWCA Civ 1016: appeal against case management decision to refuse substitution of medical expert.
• Stoute v LTA [2015] 1 WLR 79: Victoria successfully represented the Claimant at the Court of Appeal, unled, in his appeal concerning service of a claim form.
• [bullet point] Representing injured construction worker Claimant in multi-track trial where Defendant “reserved the right” to make a submission of fundamental dishonesty in relation to loss of earnings and care claims (no such finding was made)
• Representing at trial a support worker who had been injured by a service user at a day centre, where liability in dispute. The case raised issues of safe systems of work, risk assessments, and causation.

Victoria has frequently appeared at the Criminal Injuries Compensation Appeal tribunal, on both eligibility and quantum appeals. She also has solid inquest experience (including jury inquests and Article 2 inquests). .

Victoria accepts instructions on a conditional fee basis.

She is a member of the Personal Injuries Bar Association.

Victoria is experienced in professional regulatory work, having represented practitioners at all the main healthcare regulators as well as at the ACCA. She has advised and defended Registrants at interim and final hearings facing a range of allegations, including dishonesty,  sexual and other types of misconduct towards colleagues, lack of competence, and health-related concerns, including addiction. She has also acted at review hearings.

She has experience of judicial review proceedings to challenge non-appealable sanctions. She has acted in a high-value professional negligence claim focusing on legal advice that had been given on prospects of appeal following the dentist client’s erasure. .

Victoria’s practice had a focus on employment law for several years which experience complements her regulatory law practice.

Recent cases include:

• Representing medical doctor before the Administrative Court seeking reconsideration of refusal of permission to challenge a warning imposed for misconduct by way of judicial review. Permission was refused;
• Representing medical doctor at Interim Orders Tribunal in relation to conduct and health concerns arising out of an addiction to medication;
• Representing physiotherapist at fitness to practice hearing before health committee in connection with mental-health condition. Panel concluded fitness to practise was not impaired.
• Representing a biomedical scientist accused of rushing sample analyses and not following infection control procedures. Panel concluded fitness to practise was not impaired;
• Representing physiotherapist who had retrospectively amended a patient record. Charge of dishonesty was not proved and panel, while making a finding of impairment, imposed no sanction;

• Q v Secretary of State for Justice [2020] All ER (D) 83 (Jan): represented Respondent to an appeal before the Employment Appeal Tribunal which raised Article 8 privacy rights arguments in the context of unfair dismissal
• Murray v Devenish [2018] EWHC 1895 QB: nine-day High Court trial of sexual abuse allegations from the 1970s (led by Mary O’Rourke QC). Murray v Devenish [2017] EWCA Civ 1016: appeal against case management decision to refuse substitution of medical expert
• British Gas Trading Limited v Lock and another, [2016] 2 ICR 503. Represented Mr Lock as junior in this leading holiday pay case concerning the treatment of “results-based commission” in the calculation of holiday pay.
• Isaac Stoute v. LTA Operations Ltd t/a Lawn Tennis Association, [2015] 1
• WLR 79. Successfully represented Claimant unled at Court of Appeal in interlocutory matter concerning whether service of a claim form had been valid in circumstances where the County Court had served a claim form despite a request for solicitor service.

• Event: Old Square Chambers speaking at “Personal Injury Update 2021- Online Half Day Conference” on behalf of The Legal Training Consultancy
• Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc v Various Claimants & Barclays Bank Plc v Various Claimants
• Personal Protective Equipment – The Last Frontier?
• Victoria Webb successful in the EAT in Q v Secretary of State for Justice
• Supreme Court refuses permission to appeal in Lock v British Gas