Year of call: 1988
Fiona Ashworth has a nationwide reputation for acting in cases involving Chronic Pain Syndromes, Complex Regional Pain Syndromes, Chronic Fatigue Syndromes, Somatoform Pain Disorders, Somatic Symptom Disorders, Bodily Distress Disorders, Conversion Disorders, Functional Neurological Disorders, and Fibromyalgia. She is considered a leading expert on pain and functional disorders.
These conditions are often poorly understood and extremely challenging. Fiona has developed deep knowledge and expertise in this area through extensive work with medical experts across multiple specialisms. She has been involved in hundreds of cases, both at first instance and on appeal, acting for both Claimant and Defendant.
Fiona has lectured extensively nationwide, organised numerous Pain Seminars, and contributed published articles on the topic. She was a delegate at the Pain Summit at Westminster, a speaker at the medico-legal forum at Peterhouse College, Cambridge in 2015, and has been invited to speak in 2024. She was also a speaker at the British Pain Society’s 50th Annual Conference.
She has wide experience in personal injury-related professional negligence cases.
Fiona is the patron of Burning Nights CRPS charity and works alongside founder Victoria Abbot Fleming to raise awareness of CRPS.
Fiona has sat as a Recorder since 2009.
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C1 was a front-seat passenger in a van that crashed after D lost control while driving at speed. D was 2.5 times over the alcohol limit. C1’s husband was an unrestrained passenger in the back of the van; he was ejected during the collision and died instantly. C1’s father was also in the back of the van. He received emergency treatment at the roadside but died in hospital several days later without regaining consciousness.
The scene of the accident was horrific. C1 ran between her husband and father trying to help, covered in concrete dust from the van. She sustained soft tissue injuries and subsequently developed severe PTSD.
There were arguments as to contributory negligence in respect of all three passengers, including whether they knew or ought to have known that D had been drinking. There were also disputes regarding the lack of seatbelts or proper seating in the van.
In C1’s personal injury claim, there were multiple calculations for loss of earnings and pension, given uncertainty about her future working capacity as she was training to be a nurse at the time of the accident.
C1 also brought a dependency claim, which was complex due to differing forecasts of her husband’s likely earnings, as he had only recently gained employment. There were six child dependents, one of whom had learning difficulties, which increased the value of the dependency claim as he was likely to remain dependent long-term.
C2, C1’s mother, brought a claim for nervous shock as a secondary victim. She also had a dependency claim flowing from her husband’s death. This aspect was more complex as she subsequently developed cuada equina and had a larger care dependency claim.
Awards:
C1: Personal Injury – £160,000
C1: Dependency – £500,000
C2: Personal Injury – £16,000
C2: Dependency – £210,000
Case where case handlers at the surveillance company gave dishonest statements signed with a statement of truth to the court
C sustained a Lisfranc fracture in a road traffic accident and subsequently developed CRPS. He was making progress until undergoing nerve conduction studies, which exacerbated his symptoms. Some improvement is anticipated, and he is expected to return to work.
Settlement: £275,000
C sustained a crush injury to her leg after being struck by a forklift truck. She developed chronic post-traumatic neuropathic pain and more widespread myofascial pain. Despite her injuries, she has been able to continue working with adaptations.
Settlement: £250,000
C was involved in a road traffic accident and sustained soft tissue injuries to her spine. Two days later, she developed symptoms in her feet, which were initially diagnosed as plantar fasciitis or referred pain from the spine.
During the course of proceedings, C was diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), which explained all her symptoms of pain and sensory dysfunction. She had been employed as a nurse and had taken early retirement.
Settlement: £328,30
C, aged 28, was involved in a high-velocity, multi-trauma road traffic accident when he was knocked off his motorbike. He sustained fractures to both forearms, a fractured rib, a transverse fracture of T10, a minor head injury, and multiple lacerations.
The most severe injuries were a right acetabular fracture and a fracture to the right femur. He is expected to require a hip replacement within the next few years, with further revision surgeries anticipated thereafter.
C had previously worked as a welder, and his earning capacity has been significantly reduced.
Settlement: £475,000
C, aged 30, was involved in a road traffic accident. She was wrongly diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury, prescribed anti-convulsants, and prevented from working for 12 months, resulting in the loss of her job. She subsequently developed Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), PTSD, and other psychiatric conditions, which led to a lack of capacity.
The Court approved a settlement of £1.3 million, reflecting ongoing symptoms but with some optimism for future improvement.
C was assaulted while working in a police station. She subsequently developed Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) and was unable to return to work. Her symptoms included foreign accent syndrome, balance problems, and chronic pain. She required intensive rehabilitation and continues to need ongoing care.
Settlement: £510,000
C was injured in a road traffic accident and developed neck and facial pain, diagnosed as an injury to the cervical spine involving the trigeminal–cervical complex, together with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND).
She continued to work but found it increasingly difficult. C’s evidence was that her ongoing pain would limit her to part-time work when balancing her responsibilities as a mother, and that she would likely retire earlier as a result.
Settlement: £225,000
A care home worker was assaulted by a resident, resulting in shoulder pain and loss of use of her arm. She subsequently developed PTSD and anxiety. Evidence indicated that her loss of use of the upper limb was psychologically mediated and was expected to respond to treatment.
Settlement: £232,755
C sustained a Lisfranc injury to his foot when a heavy load fell on it. He developed Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) in the affected limb and, after approximately three years, developed CRPS in the other foot, which subsequently spread up his legs.
His claim included loss of earnings, care, occupational therapy, accommodation, and a bespoke claim for disability-friendly aviaries to enable him to continue his hobby of keeping birds, together with the cost of a professional bird keeper to maintain their health.
Total Settlement: £2.25 million
A 28-year-old woman underwent a negligent labial reduction, which resulted in the removal of excessive amounts of tissue, leading to chronic vulvodynia and major depressive disorder. She experienced ongoing pain and disfigurement that was not amenable to revision surgery.
Her relationship subsequently broke down, and she was unable to continue working.
The case settled for £450,000 at a Round Table Meeting.
Claimant suffered an avulsion injury to the calcaneum, initially expected to resolve within a few months. Instead, he developed Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), causing agonising pain and skin breakdowns. He also experienced low mood, and his marriage subsequently broke down.
Due to the risk of sepsis, he underwent a below-knee amputation five years after the accident. His claim included prostheses and rehabilitation, accommodation, care (predicted to increase with age), and aids and appliances.
FND after a minor soft tissue injury.
Settlement: £450,000
Case where a girl developed FND symptoms after RTA which were diagnosed later.
Settlement: £416k
C developed SSD after being struck by a falling tool. He developed unusual functional symtptoms of sweating and great thirst referable to the accident.
Settlement: £250,000
Case where C developed FND after being struck by a parasol on holiday. She developed FND which was resistant to Treatment.
Settlement: £650,000
Above knee amputation of a 67 year old man.
Settlement: £2,000,000
FND case after a slipping incident.
Settlement: £300,000
Allergic reaction to a steroid administered by a GP leading to Chronic Fatigue Syndrom.
Settlement: £1.2m
Soft tissue injuries in a RTA leading to FND.
Settlement: £1.2m
Massive head injuries in RTA leading to an exacerbation of pre existing learning difficulties and FND.
Settlement: £5.8m (approved)
Multi sited orthopaedic, traumatic brain, vascular and psychiatric injuries.
Settlement: £2.25m + PD’s
Minor rear end shunt in RTA that led to FND and no useful function in the right dominant arm.
Settlement: £1,066,000
T12 fracture sustained in RTA. She developed CPS, FND and PTSD.
Settlement: £2,500,000
Initial soft tissue injuries to arm progressed to CRPS and FND and she lost the use of her arm and subsequently leg and back pains.
Settlement: £2,264,884.
Catastrophic brain injury leading to cognitive difficulties, disinhibition, confusion, perseveration, impulsiveness and fatigue.
Settlement: £1,050,000 approved.
C suffered spinal injuries in RTA when not wearing a seatbelt. She was subsequently operated on negligently resulting in significant disability.
Settlement: £3,582,987.50
Minor Lisfranc fracture that developed into CRPS
Settlement: £1,500,000
Claim against solicitor who settled a Fibromyalgia case before obtaining rheumatological evidence.
Settlement: £330,000
Chambers UK 2026
“Fiona is very clever and always extremely helpful. She will turn papers round extremely quickly. She is also an excellent advocate.”
“Fiona is a calming presence. She is always well prepared and extremely thorough.”
“Fiona Ashworth is always fully prepared and able to deliver sometimes difficult advice in a compassionate but firm way.”
Legal 500 2025
Chambers UK 2025
“She is highly specialist, knowledgeable and puts the client at the very centre of her advice and approach to cases.”
“Fiona is the leading barrister advising on cases involving chronic pain.”
“Tenacious, ready to take on the most difficult of cases and to advocate them fearlessly.”
“The go-to counsel for any issues of chronic pain, with an unrivalled knowledge of this area, respected by her peers and medical experts alike.”
“A true expert in chronic pain cases.”
Legal 500 2025
‘Fiona has a calm and professional approach to her work. She has excellent attention to detail and easily identifies the issues in a case, she is good at managing clients, especially those who may be particularly challenging, and she is a skilled negotiator exercising sound judgement when advising at key points in a case.’
Chambers UK 2024
“Fiona is the go to practitioner for any chronic pain cases.”
“Fiona is excellent. She is truly a specialist and a formidable advocate”
“Fiona is an expert when it comes to chronic pain litigation. She is meticulous, conscientious and reliable.
Legal 500 2024
‘Fiona is an excellent practitioner with an in-depth knowledge of personal injury law. She is particularly accomplished as a very strong negotiator and advocate, she always deals with her instructions promptly and is open to a call to discuss a case, and most of all, she has excellent client-handling skills and makes all clients from whatever background feel at ease and confident that she has their best interests at heart.’
Chambers UK 2023
“Fiona is highly experienced in her niche specialism of chronic pain cases.”
‘Fiona is very thorough and detailed, she knows the papers inside out and is very efficient and reliable.’
Chambers UK 2022
“Very able and hard-working – she is a very good advocate.” “She has developed a real niche in chronic pain cases and is a genuine expert in the field.”
Legal 500 2022
“Fiona’s standout strength in relation to chronic pain work is unrivalled knowledge of the area, from both a legal and medical understanding demonstrated. In relation to catastrophic injury I have found her tactics and negotiating strategies to deliver excellent results on each occasion. Her ability to discuss complex causation issues with clients who are often emotional is also a huge benefit.”
Chambers UK 2021
“An excellent advocate with an unrivalled knowledge of chronic pain cases. She is very practical, a team player and a strong negotiator.” “She is incredibly hard-working and always quick to respond.”
Legal 500, 2021
“Fiona has unrivalled knowledge and experience when it comes to chronic pain cases, and couples this with client care skills, working collaboratively with her instructing Solicitors and dealing with claimants with a compassionate but firm hand, instilling trust and confidence. She is a ferocious negotiator, and I would always want her to be in my corner going into a JSM.”
“A fount of knowledge on chronic pain and related cases, with outstanding attention to detail.”
Legal 500, 2020
“Particularly recommended for chronic regional pain cases.”
“An expert in chronic pain cases.”
Chambers UK 2020
“Her strengths lie in being able to get up to speed on any case very quickly while still understanding very complex issues properly and fully.” “She really understands chronic pain work and gives very clear and straightforward advice.” “She is supportive, friendly, and her knowledge in the niche area of chronic pain litigation is second to none.”
Chambers UK 2019
“Her knowledge and understanding of chronic pain issues is unequalled and this, coupled with her technical skills, gives her clients the upper hand in a difficult area of personal injury.” “I cannot praise her preparation enough; it is meticulous.”
Legal 500 2019
“A fighter in court.”
Chambers UK 2018
“A national leader for cases concerning fibromyalgia and other chronic pain conditions, in which she principally represents claimants. She also represents defendant clients in RTA claims.”
Legal 500, 2018
“Very knowledgeable on cases involving chronic pain.”
Chambers UK 2017
“The doyenne of chronic pain cases, she knows that subject inside-out.” “She’s very authoritative; she has a detailed grasp of the issues and articulates them well.” “She is thorough, analytical and generally very good.”
The Legal 500, 2017
“She is robust yet fair and quickly gets to the heart of the issue.”
Chambers UK 2016
“She has an extremely thorough and authoritative approach, whilst retaining a compassionate rapport with clients.”
“She is very strong technically, good on her feet in front of a judge and very good with clients. She has the right degree of gravitas and familiarity.”
