Edinburgh 0131 200 1200
Aberdeen 01224 49 80 80
michaela guthrie

Michaela Guthrie

Partner

I am fortunate to have spent my entire legal career at Balfour+Manson and I have specialised in Medical Negligence and Personal Injury work since 2015. I am accredited as a Senior Litigator by the Association for Personal Injury Lawyers in both areas and by the Law Society of Scotland in relation to Medical Negligence. I am instructed in a wide variety of cases in the Court of Session and the All-Scotland Personal Injury Court.

I am experienced in cases involving failures to properly obtain patient consent before surgery and other procedures. Balfour+Manson secured the ground-breaking decision of the Supreme Court in the case of Montgomery v Lanarkshire Health Board which revolutionised the law in relation to consent.

I also have experience in Fatal Accident Inquiries in the Sheriff Court and in obtaining Criminal Injuries Compensation for those injured as a result of criminal acts.

I am pleased to accept instructions and referrals from agents throughout Scotland.

The best thing about my job is helping people who have been injured or lost a loved one due to negligence. The process of making a claim and obtaining life-changing compensation can be daunting and complex, and I pride myself on making that process as straightforward as I can.

I have a lot of experience in claims relating to failures to properly consent patients before they undergo treatment. I believe passionately in the importance of patients being fully engaged and involved in making decisions about their treatment. In addition, I have achieved compensation for many women who have suffered life-changing injuries during childbirth, including OASI – sadly, this is still an area of significant stigma for a lot of women and being able to secure funds to assist my clients to access essential treatment and therapy is extremely rewarding.

Medical negligence and personal injury cases can be complex and I enjoy the challenge of thoroughly investigating cases and working with expert witnesses from a range of specialisms to obtain the evidence needed for a case to succeed.

When I’m not at work you will ideally find me on a beach in East Lothian with my black lab Finn, or out on the water with my Sea Cadet unit.

  • Accredited as a Specialist in Medical Negligence Law by the Law Society of Scotland
  • Accredited Senior Litigator – Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL)
  • Notary Public

I was assisted by Michaela Guthrie in a claim against my Dentist. Michaela was very helpful throughout and achieved a positive outcome for me allowing me to draw a line under the matter and move on. Thank you Michaela!

Review Solicitors Client

This must the most highly effective litigation team in Scotland. So it’s absolutely no surprise to me when I saw litigation team of the year 2020 award on their website. I had the pleasure dealing with the lovely Michaela Guthrie who was beyond exceptional for me so understanding and professional throughout even putting up with cry baby phone calls at the start of this claim 4 years ago. Now that my case has been settled I received a substantial amount and just delighted. Thank you so much to the Balfour+Manson litigation team.

Review Solicitors Client

Balfour and Manson were of exemplary help in completing my case. Especially Michaela Guthrie and Christine McCauley, her assistant. I couldn’t have asked for any more understanding and help to reach an out of court settlement. Balfour and Manson were in my opinion acting for the best outcome for their client. Thank you from the heart.

Review Solicitors Client