The fallout from Fortitude Law: supporting surgical mesh claimants to seek justice
In May 2023, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (‘SRA’) closed down a practice known as ‘Fortitude Law’, run by Darren Hanison, to protect the public.
Fortitude Law was, at the time, representing many women bringing compensation claims arising from the adverse effects of surgical mesh. In this briefing, Russell-Cooke's medical negligence team discusses where this has left Fortitude Law clients, and how they are supporting them.
Fortitude Law
The closure of Fortitude Law left Mr Hanison’s clients in need of new legal representation. Many will have approached and instructed new solicitors but the energy and determination that this exercise would have required cannot be underestimated.
Over the last couple of years, our specialist team has been stepping in where possible to assist former Fortitude Law clients to continue their compensation claims. We have a wealth of expertise in handling claims involving surgical mesh, and represent clients with cases involving the insertion of transvaginal and transobturator mesh to address stress urinary incontinence and mesh used in rectopexy and other surgeries to treat prolapse.
Almost two years on, we are pleased to have secured successful outcomes in a number of the cases we took over for clients affected by the closure of Fortitude Law. We have developed a streamlined and sensitive approach to considering mesh claims and appraising whether we can look to assist, depending on the circumstances and background to each case.
Bringing a claim
The unfortunate reality is there may be other former Fortitude Law clients who have not yet explored their options in terms of securing alternative legal representation.
Clients might be worried that they might be out of time to bring a case at court (usually three years from the date they knew that mesh might have caused them damage) – but you should not let this put you off enquiring because working out the so-called Limitation deadline in these cases is not straight forward.
Even though claims have been derailed by the closure of Fortitude Law, the clock continues to run and it is therefore important to encourage those who have not done so already to explore the legal position relating to their claim as soon as possible.
Our observation so far is that the Courts have been sympathetic in their dealings with former clients of Fortitude Law and have granted extensions of time to allow the new solicitors to get up to speed with the case.
My heart goes out to these women many of whom have been left with painful and devastating injuries as a result of medical malpractice. These women, often through the support of other women sharing information for the greater good, then steeled themselves to find a lawyer to pursue justice and fair compensation only to find themselves let down by another professional whose legal practice was closed down by the SRA.
I can only imagine that these women felt cursed; not only had the medical profession let them down, the legal profession had put the boot in a second time. I would urge these women not to give up their fight for justice. There are many excellent and dedicated medical negligence lawyers with an interest in mesh claims who are rightly outraged by the way these women have been treated. Call them up - they want to help.
Janice Gardner is a partner in the medical negligence team with over 30 years' experience advising on both clinical negligence and personal injury cases. Amy Anderson is an associate in the same team, representing clients in civil claims for compensation arising as a result of negligence, and specialising in acting for clients with injuries arising from birth and birth trauma.
Get in touch
If you would like to speak with a member of the team you can contact our medical negligence solicitors by email, by telephone on +44 (0)20 3826 7517 or complete our enquiry form below.
