+44 (0)20 7822 1200

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Sarah Vaughan Jones QC

Call 1983
Silk 2008

svj@2tg.co.uk

+44 (0)20 7822 1200

“A highly skilled advocate with incredible knowledge and attention to detail”

Chambers UK

“Incredibly thorough, incisive, balanced and pragmatic”

Chambers UK

“The best of the best”

Legal 500

“The queen of quantum”

Chambers UK

“Razor sharp and can get to the nub of a case very quickly”

Legal 500

“Her grasp of the law is incredible and she is fearless in court”

Chambers UK

"really good manner with clients and witnesses"

Chambers UK

"robust and straightforward approach"

Chambers UK

"The best silk for defendant clinical negligence"

Chambers UK

"A heavyweight silk"

Legal 500

Practice Overview

With many years of experience in both professional negligence and personal injury litigation, Sarah has specialised in disputes involving health professionals or complex medical issues since taking Silk in 2008. She is recognised as a leading Silk in clinical negligence.

Chambers UK ranks Sarah as a Band 1 Silk in clinical negligence, describing her as “very bright, incredibly thorough and good company”, while she is described in Legal 500 as “the best silk for defendant clinical negligence”. There is particular praise for her “really good manner with clients and witnesses” and her ability to do “an incredibly thorough job.” Sarah has a reputation as “an asset to any team” who “never fails to impress in terms of her medical knowledge”: with “incisive analysis and grasp of detail”, she “quickly identifies the key issues and gets to the point quickly” and has “excellent judgment”. Sarah is known for her “excellent grasp of medicine” and as “a fearsome negotiator at round table meetings, thanks to her robust and straightforward approach” and solicitors also value her “terrific” conference skills (Chambers UK).

Clinical Negligence

Sarah acts for both claimants and defendants in clinical negligence claims against hospital trusts and health authorities, GPs and private providers, as well as members of the ancillary professions such as out-of-hours providers and physiotherapists. She is regularly instructed on behalf of the NHSLA. In Silk, her practice has focussed on claims arising out of obstetric and neonatal mis-management, claims for wrongful birth, spinal surgery, brain surgery, delayed diagnosis of infection (meningitis, vasculitis etc) and management of suicidal patients.

Recent cases include:

 

  • X v an NHS Trust [2016]
    Representing defendant in defending claim for alleged negligence in conduct of spinal operation
  • A v University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust  [2015] EWHC 366 (QB) 
    Assessment of damages in claim for cerebral palsy sustained at birth
  • S v an NHS Trust [2015]
    Defending claim for alleged delay in delivery of second twin
  • P v an NHS Trust [2015] 
    Claim for damages for tetraplegia due to spinal cord ischaemia. Represented the defendant which admitted misinterpretation of MRI scans but disputed causation, alleging claimant’s paralysis would have been inevitable, even with earlier diagnosis of spinal cord ischaemia. Complex medical issues. Claimant discontinued shortly before trial
  • Z v an NHS Trust
    Defending claim for alleged failure by doctor in Emergency Department to admit patient with chronic condition because of intercurrent illness.
Personal Injury

Sarah has long experience of conducting personal injury claims and is mainly instructed in claims involving complex medical issues such as potential third party claims against medical providers or complex issues of medical causation.

Examples include whether death following bariatric surgery could be attributed to an earlier fall on a defective pavement; claim arising out of carbon monoxide poisoning by a defective gas fire; and claim for brain damage by infant following premature delivery after mother fell on defective pavement.

Sarah has significant experience of settling counter-schedules and conducting settlement meetings in maximum severity claims.

 

Practice Areas

Clinical Negligence
Personal Injury

Clerks Details

clerks@2tg.co.uk

Recommendations

Chambers UK 2021
“A highly skilled advocate with incredible knowledge and attention to detail. She offers very sound advice.” “She’s extremely experienced, calm and always well prepared.”

Legal 500 2021
“The best of the best – razor sharp and can get to the nub of a case very quickly”

Chambers UK 2020
“Sarah is very experienced and really understands her clients. She is also superb on quantum matters.” “She is incredibly thorough, incisive, balanced and pragmatic.”

Legal 500 2020
“A very safe pair of hands and a costs specialist.”

Chambers UK 2019
“She is incredibly thorough and has a full mastery of the detail. She is clearly held in the highest respect by her opponents. A pleasure to deal with.” “The queen of quantum.”

Chambers UK 2018
“Outstanding. The best of the best. Her grasp of the law is incredible and she is fearless in court.” “Meticulous, thorough and very good with witnesses.”

Chambers UK 2017
“She’s very bright, incredibly thorough and good company.”
“She’s got a really good manner with clients and witnesses, and does an incredibly thorough job.”

Legal 500 2017
“A heavyweight silk” 

Chambers UK 2016
“She never fails to impress in terms of her medical knowledge and her thorough approach”, “provides gold standard service”, “totally dependable and her incisive analysis, grasp of detail, negotiating capability and unsurpassed advocacy skills remain as formidable as ever”, “there is no one better on quantum.”

Legal 500 2016
“The best silk for defendant clinical negligence.”

Chambers UK 2015
“She’s got an incredible eye for detail”, “prepares the most amazing counter-schedules”, “she is extremely impressive.”

Legal 500 2015
“She is totally dependable and her unsurpassed advocacy remains as formidable as ever.”

Chambers UK 2014
“Has it all in her head and is able to explain and pull out every one of those figures as and when she needs them.”

Chambers UK 2013
“Calm and cool” and combines “an intellectual approach with a robustness in negotiation.” She handles numerous cerebral palsy cases and disputes relating to birth defects and injuries.

Chambers UK 2012
Sarah Vaughan Jones QC is an “asset to any team”. She “quickly identifies the key issues and gets to the point quickly”, has “excellent judgment” and, on top of that, she is “terrifyingly bright.” “A wonderful mine of information.” An authority on criminal and civil cases centring on claims of medical negligence, she is a seasoned veteran of GMC and GDC hearings.

Chambers UK 2011
Sarah Vaughan Jones QC is known as a hard-working, clear and sharp practitioner who is “especially good on the medical side.” The market was warm in its praise for her. Clients appreciate her approach to cases and her “very clear, very sharp advocacy.”

Chambers UK 2010
Sarah Vaughan Jones QC enjoys a strong reputation amongst instructing solicitors, one of whom commented that “a first-class job is guaranteed when you instruct her.” She has “an excellent grasp of medicine” and “is a fearsome negotiator at round-table meetings, thanks to her robust and straightforward approach.”

Chambers UK 2009
Sarah Vaughan Jones QC is a “thorough hard worker and a pleasure to instruct.” “Impressive in getting to grips with medical issues” she is especially known for her successes with the private healthcare sector in cardio and hospital acquired infections cases. Sarah’s “ability to master a vast amount of technical detail and give advice that is practical and constructive” is much appreciated. Clients agree that “if you’ve got a complicated case, there are few barristers you could feel more comfortable with.”

Chambers UK 2008
“An adept operator whose reputation has been sealed as a result of her skilful handling of some of the most difficult clinical negligence cases around.”

Chambers UK 2007
The “fantastic” Sarah Vaughan Jones is “a standout” on clinical negligence matters. “Enormously quick” and “terrifyingly bright” she “deals with matters in an expeditious fashion.” Solicitors drew attention to her “terrific” conference skills.

Seminars
Education

Trinity Hall, Cambridge University

Qualifications

MA (Law)

Memberships

PIBA
PNBA

Appointments

Queen’s Counsel (2008)
Recorder (Western Circuit)

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