Expert draws on personal experience to deliver specialist advice

Medical expertise is vital when it comes to helping deliver a sound verdict in personal injury and clinical negligence cases.

But sometimes a medical expert can also provide a unique insight into the experience of an individual involved which can help provide an even more rounded opinion.

For example, Mr Nader Rehmatullah is not only a top surgeon but a former elite athlete and keen sportsman, making him an ideal choice in cases surrounding sporting injuries. 

“I was in the British athletics team and used to throw the javelin as well as being at a fairly high level with different sports so I know what it's like to be injured and not be able to compete,” he explains.

“That is why I became a sports knee surgeon because I had been injured. I can also relate to people's mental health and how it is important to get back to sports as quickly as possible and I can imagine how some negligence cases can occur.”

Nader is a Consultant Sports Knee, Knee Osteotomy and Arthroplasty Surgeon at NHS Northwest England and North Wales and is the Welsh National Clinical lead for knee surgery as well as holding a clinic in Manchester.

As the latest expert to be added to the growing team at TLA Medicolegal, he will deliver detailed reports on individuals involved in personal injury and negligence cases.

He says: “I have been the Welsh National Clinical Lead for Knee Surgery since 2023 and I have been asked to review other consultants’ practice when concerns have been raised. As a result, I am skilled at identifying when a surgeon operates outside the boundaries of safe practice.”

Nader has been specialising in trauma and orthopaedic surgery since 2009 and became a full-time consultant in trauma and orthopaedic surgery more than five years ago.

“My acute practice is in the orthopaedics trauma area. My specific trauma interests include sports knee injuries and fractures of the lower limb, especially those around the knee and hip,” he adds.

“My elective practice is in the treatment of knee pain, sports knee injuries, arthritis management in young and active patients and those requiring joint replacements of the knees and hips. Specifically, these involve ligament and cartilage injuries of the knee, osteotomies around the knee and joint placements of the knees and hips.”

As a clinical lead, he regularly meets surgeons from across Wales along with other health professionals such as physiotherapists. The aim is to bring the country up to the same level of NHS practice as England.

“This involves improving pathways and the equity of care for patients across Wales. We want to improve things not just for the patients but also for the staff. Because Wales has a lot of countryside the treatment you receive becomes a postcode lottery,” he says.

“We are trying to make it more uniform so that no matter where you live you receive the same care to the highest standard. I do a lot more knee surgery than trauma because I'm not in a major trauma centre. This means I have to be up to date with absolutely everything.”

Nader also conducts a weekly session at a private clinic in Hale near Manchester.

“I mainly see patients for injections for super-specialised biological injections. We are starting to do day case surgeries mainly on sporting injuries to knees such as anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions.” 

Nader is a member of various esteemed associations including the British Medical Association; British Orthopaedic Association; British Patellofemoral Society, British Association of Day Surgery, British Association for Surgery of the Knee and the Biological Knee Society.

Having completed the Bond-Solon medicolegal course, widely regarded as the gold standard for those who act as expert witnesses, he is keen to lend his considerable expertise to giving valuable evidence in cases.

“It is fascinating area and I know I will be able to draw on my expertise to help with often complex cases,” he adds.

As for working with TLA, he feels similarly confident he has made the right choice and has signed on as a full member. This means TLA will be managing his caseload with proactive development of his instruction pipeline through the company’s solicitor network.

“I looked through the experts involved and I saw a few people I knew and had trained with so I asked them how they felt about working with TLA and they said it was a good company to work for so I signed up,” he explains.

“I know TLA will give me all the support I need with case handling and administration which will allow me to concentrate fully on my duties as an expert witness.”

Nader joins TLA at a time when it is rapidly expanding its full membership base with five experts taken on in the last few months.

Away from his busy career, Nader continues to be a keen sportsman, playing golf frequently and cycling up to 150kms a week.

“I've got two kids aged nine and six. I play sport with them. My little lad's a good footballer and plays for a decent team so I spend a lot of time with them,” he adds.

Please email Alice Jones, Senior Case Manager and Head of the Trauma and Orthopaedics Division at TLA for Nader Rehmatullah’s CV and further details alice@tla-medicolegal.com