Alex Dabek; Spinal Injury Lawyer; Bolt Burdon Kemp Alex Dabek; Spinal Injury Lawyer; Bolt Burdon Kemp

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Alex Dabek

Partner in the Spinal Injury Team

I am a big fan of Alex Dabek who is astonishingly thorough and meticulous in everything she does, leaving no stone unturned.

Legal 500 2024

Alex is a Partner in the Spinal Injury team at Bolt Burdon Kemp.  She started her career at Bolt Burdon Kemp in 2007.

Alex specialises in complex claims involving spinal cord injuries sustained as a result of clinical negligence and has been recognised as a ‘Key Lawyer’ within the clinical negligence sector by the Legal 500 2024. The guide particularly notes her as ‘astonishingly thorough and meticulous in everything she does”.

She also acts for people who have sustained a spinal cord injury as a result of accidents.  Alex has represented many vulnerable clients, including those who lack mental capacity and children.

Alex is immensely passionate about her work.  Improving the quality of life for her clients and getting the best results for them is what most motivates her.  Alex’s priority is to ensure that her clients are fully compensated for their injuries and the financial losses they have suffered and that their claims are concluded swiftly.

Alex is frequently instructed in relation to clinical negligence claims including:-

  • negligent delay in diagnosis and treatment of Cauda Equina Syndrome (also known as CES)
  • negligent delay in diagnosis and treatment of spinal infections such as discitis and/or spinal abscess
  • surgical errors including incorrect surgical approaches and wrong level surgery
  • failure to act on post-surgical complications including epidural haematomas and infections
  • spinal injury following epidural injections

Examples of the notable cases that Alex has been involved in include:-

  • Acting for a client who was paralysed as a teenager due to negligence when carrying out an operation to correct scoliosis, a curvature of the spine.  This case was fiercely fought by the Defendant NHS Trust but despite this we went on to secure a £5.3 million settlement for our client.
  • Representing a client after a road traffic collision, which resulted in her sustaining urological dysfunction and a conversion disorder manifesting itself as a spinal cord injury.  This complex case was robustly defended by the insurers, who placed an initial value of £20,000 on our client’s injuries.  We successfully achieved a £2 million settlement for our client.
  • Clinical negligence claim for an elderly client who became paralysed during spinal surgery to remove a calcified disc prolapse.  Liability was fiercely defended by the NHS Trust.  Mindful of our client’s advanced age and the need for support, we were able to negotiate a £1 million settlement (capitalised) which allowed our client to fund her complex care needs and allowed for substantial adaptations to be made to her family home.
  • Representing a client who suffered a serious knee injury as a result of delayed diagnosis and treatment of his ruptured patella tendon.  This injury had a hugely detrimental effect on our client’s daily life and employment.  Alex was able to secure an early interim payment for the client which allowed him to fund his rehabilitation and in his long-term recovery.  This case subsequently settled for £850,000 despite the Defendant only making one offer of settlement for a derisory £3,000 prior to this.
  • Acting for a client who developed Cauda Equine Syndrome following spinal surgery at a private hospital.  Our client was left with seriously reduced mobility as well as permanent bladder and bowel dysfunction.  The case involved a number of complex issues and the private hospital strongly defended the claim.  Alex was able to secure some much needed mobility equipment for the client in the early stages of the claim to allow her a greater degree of independence.  Alex fought hard to achieve a £1 million settlement which allowed our client to return to a quality of life as close as possible to that which she had before her injury.
  • Pursuing a clinical negligence claim for a client who developed a brain injury following negligent treatment by two hospitals.  Our client’s life was severely affected by the brain injury: she needed help with daily activities; had difficulties with future employment; and had an impaired ability to make decisions.  No admissions of negligence were made during this case and there were a number of challenges.  Alex’s expertise was instrumental in securing a £1.5 million settlement which allowed her client to undergo much-needed rehabilitation and to put in place the support that she needed.

Alex proudly supports a number of charities helping those with spinal cord injuries.

Alex works very closely with Horatio’s Garden, a national charity creating and nurturing beautiful gardens in NHS spinal injury centres to support everyone affected by spinal injury.  She regularly attends and has spoken at a number of fundraising and patient events organised by the charity.  She has really enjoyed fundraising for Horatio’s Garden, including doing a bicycle ride and one mile Swim Serpentine challenge in September 2019 raising much needed funds to help maintain the gardens and fund therapies for those with spinal cord injuries.

Alex also supports and works closely with the Spinal Injuries Association and Back Up whose services and support are invaluable to people who have sustained spinal injuries.

Alex has organised a number of charity events and helped to put together the firm’s Wheelchair Awareness Day during which able-bodied lawyers were given an opportunity to experience the challenges encountered by wheelchair users on a daily basis.

Alex is an active member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL).  As the Secretary to the APIL’s Special Interest Group for Spinal Cord Injury, she has organised a number of training sessions for other APIL members on issues pertinent to spinal injury claims.

Media contributions and commentary

Professional memberships

  • Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) – Senior Litigator
  • Secretary of APIL’s Special Interest Group for Spinal Cord Injuries

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