Hannah Saxena

She is very thorough, well prepared and provides sound advice." "Hannah approaches matters in a manner that fills you with complete confidence.

Chambers UK 2021

Hannah Saxena is a well respected junior with a focus on personal injury and clinical negligence. She is ranked as a Leading Junior in both Legal 500 and Chambers UK.

Hannah is instructed in a range of high value multi track matters in the High Court and County Court. She has a busy paperwork practice advising on liability, tactics and quantum as well as drafting statements of case. She represents parties at JSM and mediation. In addition she is in court regularly conducting trials, applications and other interim hearings.

Hannah is regularly against opposition of more senior call, including silks.

Hannah also co-organises the PIBA Annual Conference.

The Legal 500 - The Clients Guide to Law Firms

Personal Injury

Hannah undertakes a variety of multi track work in the High Court and County Court.  She represents both claimants and defendants in a variety of areas including road traffic accidents, employers’ liability, slipping and tripping claims and occupiers’ liability.

As well as attending trials, applications, CCMCs and JSMs Hannah has an extensive personal injury paperwork practice. She regularly drafts pleadings, schedules of loss and counter schedules in claims pleaded over £1,000,000, drafts questions to experts and advises on liability, causation and quantum.  She is experienced in complex quantum arguments and has a particular interest in difficult pension loss claims.  She has been a junior in claims pleaded over £10million.

Hannah’s ongoing cases include:

  • Brain injury claims.
  • Spinal injury claims.
  • Fatal asbestosis and mesothelioma claims.
  • Chronic pain claims where surveillance evidence is being used.
  • Industrial disease claims.
  • Claims with complex causation arguments involving conferences with experts across a range of disciplines.
  • Claims with pension loss claims in excess of £500k.
  • Cases where fraud or fundamental dishonesty is alleged.

Clinical Negligence

Hannah represents both claimants and defendants in clinical negligence claims. Her detailed approach is ideally suited to dealing with clinical negligence claims. She has experience of dealing with multi track claims with complex liability, causation and quantum issues. As well as paperwork and conferences with experts across a number of disciplines she regularly attends trials, applications, CCMCs as well as undertaking mediations and JSMs.

Examples of Hannah’s ongoing cases include:

  • Cases involving limitation issues.
  • Fatal accident claims arising from clinical negligence.
  • Misdiagnosis and late diagnosis claims.
  • Cases relating to informed consent.
  • Claims involving surgical errors.

Costs

Hannah regularly attends costs and case management conferences and deals with costs issues on a daily basis. She also accepts instructions for detailed assessments of costs.  As an editor of the Green Book she is well versed in the new costs rules, including QOCS and the new fixed costs regime.

Civil Fraud

Hannah has extensive experience of fraud and fundamental dishonesty cases. She has obtained finding of fundamental dishonesty dozens of times to disapply QOCS and strike out the claim under s57.

Her fraud experience includes cases involving fraud rings, fabricated accidents and induced collisions. She has experience of cases involving exaggerated or fabricated injuries using surveillance and social media evidence. She has drafted pleadings in tort of deceit cases and advised on contempt proceedings.

She has also successfully appealed a decision on the applicability of s57 to strike out credit hire charges where the claimant lied about being injured after a road traffic accident.

Travel & International Law

Hannah conducts a range of high value international claims and travel law claims.  Her international work includes cases pleaded in the millions of pounds.

She undertakes work where there are complicated jurisdictional, limitation and service issues and has experience of cases brought under the Athens and Montreal conventions as well as aviation claims.  She has experience of witnesses and experts giving evidence from abroad.  As well as paperwork and conferences with experts across a number of disciplines she regularly attends trials, applications, CCMCs as well as undertaking mediations and JSMs.

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Notable Cases


L v M (2021)
Hannah represented the defendant in a claim where the claimant was claiming in excess of £300,000 for injuries sustained after a road traffic accident where the claimant was hit whilst a drunken pedestrian. The claimant claimed that he was unable to work at all after the accident but surveillance showed him entering a building site dressed for work and carrying things. After the disclosure of the surveillance the claimant discontinued his claim.

W v F (2021)
The deceased was killed in a road traffic accident whilst he was cycling. Liability was admitted and Hannah represented the defendant. The claim was pleaded at above £1.4m and involved a complex pension loss claim based on the deceased working as a world famous conservationist for the rest of his natural life but for the accident. The claim was settled at JSM for £825,000.

CB (2022)
In a claim resulting from the defendant’s hospital’s negligent treatment leading to fourth degree tears during childbirth Hannah acted for the claimant who was left with permanent incontinence. The claim was settled at JSM for £475,000 in January 2022.

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H v Farrant-Parker & Antinox Ltd (2020)
Hannah was junior counsel for the claimant, led by Rhiannon Jones QC, in this claim where the claimant was 7 years old when he suffered a spinal cord injury in a road traffic accident rendering him tetraplegic. Future care, therapies and accommodation were all in issue. The case settled after JSM after the claimant turned 18 and had relocated to the United States of America for a sum in excess of $10million.

Basir v Larizadeh (2019)
Hannah represented the defendant in a successful appeal where s57 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 was clarified and the whole of the claimant’s claim, including repairs and credit hire charges, was struck out and the defendant was awarded their indemnity costs.

JMX v C & Sabre Insurance Company Limited (2019)
Hannah represented the defendant in a case pleaded in excess of £10million. The claim settled after a counter schedule was filed for £4.93million, which was approved on 7th February 2019 by Mrs Justice Lambert.

Chalfoun & Chalfoun v Metroline Travel Ltd (2018)
Hannah represented the defendant bus company who alleged that the first claimant’s claim was fraudulent. HHJ Roberts found that the first claimant had deliberately slammed on his brakes to induce a collision with the bus and that every part of his claim was dishonest. Both claims were dismissed and QOCS was disapplied under CPR r44.16(1).

SQN v EQN (2018)
Historical sexual abuse claim arising out of alleged abuse by a step brother on his step sibling in the 1980s. The claimant contended that she could no longer work in her chosen career as a result of the psychological damage caused. Hannah represented the defendant and settled the matter at JSM.

L v TFL (2018)
Hannah represented the claimant in this fatal accident claim arising out of the Croydon tram crash on 9th November 2016. The deceased had been a self employed bricklayer and the defendant disputed the level of his earnings which the claimant was dependent on. Settlement was reached at JSM.

Howes v Harford Attachments Limited (2018)
Fatal accident claim pleaded at £200,000 arising out of a fire at the defendant’s premises. Upon receipt of the counter schedule the parties were able to negotiate a sensible settlement that the court was happy to approve. Hannah represented the defendant.

Bartley v Francis (2017)
Hannah drafted the counter schedule for the defendant in this spinal injury claim where the claimant sustained complete tetraplegia following a cycling accident. The main issues between the parties were future care, accommodation and life expectancy. Matter settled at JSM by Alan Jeffreys QC.

Killeen v Jones (2017)
In a claim brought by an Olympic cyclist Hannah represented the defendant. The claimant had been knocked off his bike by the defendant reversing out of his drive. He was claiming substantial figures for loss of earnings and sponsorship money despite having fractured his ankle at the London Olympics the previous year. The counter schedule denied causation of the losses. The parties managed to settle the claim prior to trial.

Wilkinson v Kharytonau (October 2017)
Successfully defended a claim brought by a young pedestrian who was hit by D’s motorbike as crossing the New Kent Road with stationary traffic in one lane. Although it was found D should have slowed down on approaching the pedestrian crossing the claim failed on the basis of causation as C moved out from behind the stationary bus so quickly the accident could not have been avoided even if D going 20mph.

Eugene v Ladenika (August 2017)
Obtained a finding of fundamental dishonesty as well as a referral to the Attorney General in a case where liability was admitted but D successfully challenged causation of C’s injuries. In depth cross examination on the various accounts C had given of her injuries and the medical records caused the judge to comment that there was no doubt that C was lying.

Bostock v East Midlands Trains Ltd (August 2016)
C slipped over on a frozen puddle in the car park at a train station hitting his back and head. Whilst the claim was not high value the claim itself was of significance to East Midlands as it would determine the adequacy of their entire winter maintenance plan. Successfully defended the case at trial on the basis that it was reasonable to prioritise gritting certain areas first and could not eliminate all risks.

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If you would like to instruct Hannah Saxena or would like help or advice in doing so, please call and talk to our excellent clerking team, led by Chief Executive/Director of Clerking, Paul Cray. Our phone number is +44 (0)20 7583 9241. Alternatively, please email us at chambers@farrarsbuilding.co.uk

For more information about our clerking team, please click here for the clerks page.

Appointments & Memberships


• British Association for Sport & Law
• Personal Injuries Bar Association
• Executive Committee Member of Personal Injuries Bar Association
• London Fundraising Committee Member of the Child Brain Injury Trust

Education & Qualifications


  • BVC, BPP University
  • LLB, Exeter University
  • School of Law Prize, Exeter University

Directory Quotes


Hannah Saxena is regularly instructed by both defendant and claimant firms in high-value multi-track claims. She is experienced in the handling of cases involving catastrophic injury, fatal accidents and chronic pain.

‘Hannah is great to work with. She gets to the crux of the case quickly and her advice is thorough and detailed.’ Chambers UK, 2024 – Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence

‘Clients appreciate her approachable manner and ability to break down often complex issues in a way that they can easily understand.’ Chambers UK, 2024 – Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence

‘She has great analytical skills whilst at the same time looking at the bigger picture including practical implications and tactical advantages of certain actions.’ Chambers UK, 2024 – Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence

 ‘Hannah has a good understanding very complex and risky cases. She gets to grips with complex expert evidence quickly.’ Legal 500, 2024 – Clinical Negligence

 ‘Hannah has excellent judgement and is a very persuasive advocate. Very practical and sees the big picture.’ Legal 500, 2024 – Personal Injury

Hannah quickly builds a strong rapport & wins the client’s confidence.” “Hannah provides intelligent, insightful advice & has an encyclopedic knowledge of the law.Chambers UK 2023

‘Hannah is thorough, approachable, dedicated and hard-working.’ Legal 500, 2023

“A very diligent barrister who goes the extra mile. The quality of her work is great and her preparation is really thorough and detailed.” “She is exceptionally dedicated, clear, timely and personable.” 
Chambers UK 2022

Hannah is excellent with medical experts in conference and breaks down the issues quickly and deals with any matters in a very concise way.

Legal 500 2022

“She is very thorough, well prepared and provides sound advice.” “Hannah approaches matters in a manner that fills you with complete confidence and she’s very personable and approachable. She makes her clients and instructing solicitors feel very comfortable.”

Chambers UK 2021

 

Up-and-coming barrister with a versatile practice. She is regularly instructed by both defendant and claimant firms in high-value multi-track claims. She is experienced in the handling of cases involving catastrophic injury, fatal accidents and chronic pain.
Strengths: “The service that she provides is completely excellent in every respect, as is the standard and detail of her advice.” “She’s very smart, to the point and has a very smooth style.”
Chambers UK 2020

Publications


  • Contributor to ‘A PIBA Guide to Pension Loss Calculations’ by James Rowley QC and Matthew White
  • Fundamental Dishonesty: The Truth of the Matter, P.I.L.J. (2015) No.140 November Pages 2-5.
  • Contributing Editor, Civil Court Practice 2015 (The Green Book), Pre-Action Protocols involving Personal Injury.
  • Pedestrian fault in running down claims: a review of recent authorities, P.I.L.J. (2012) No.110 November Pages 12-13.