Natasha Naidoo
Director
Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa Inc
Related services and key industries
Biography
Natasha is a director in the insurance litigation team in Johannesburg.
Natasha focuses on insurance litigation and general liability claims, more specifically medical malpractice and personal injury claims, all risks cover, business interruption, subrogated recoveries and defenses, and product liability and recall. She also provides coverage advice to major insurers.
Natasha has a particular interest in medical malpractice and personal injury matters. She represents most of the major private hospital networks and the Department of Health in South Africa in medico-legal matters involving claims for cerebral palsy, retinopathy of prematurity, orthopedic and neurological injuries.
She provides regulatory advice to private hospitals, both locally and internationally, on aspects concerning terms and conditions of admission, policy interpretation, policy review and policy drafting.
Natasha provides regulatory advice to major pharmaceutical companies and manufacturers of medicine and medical devices. Natasha also provides regulatory advice to the largest international stem cell donor organisation in respect of its South African operations, and to a top treatment and research centre overseas regarding the terms of use of artificial intelligence medical treatment plans in South Africa.
Natasha has advised on vaccine laws in Africa in relation to indemnification and vaccine injury compensation systems, class actions and product liability litigation in Africa. Natasha has performed risk assessments and advised on supplier agreements in relation to the procurement of the Covid-19 vaccine.
Natasha also advises on other vaccine related regulatory issues, clinical trials, as well as issues concerning the Marketing Code Authority and patient assistance programs.
She represents healthcare practitioners in professional conduct proceedings before the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), the Allied Health Professions of South Africa (AHPCSA) and the South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC).
Natasha has dealt with complex arbitrations on behalf of both local and international clients.
Natasha graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree and excelled in her fields of specialisation being Forensic Medicine, Third Party Compensation and Sale and Lease.
Natasha regularly writes and publishes articles on medical and healthcare law related topics which feature in various magazines, medical chronicles and newsletters. She also presents at medico-legal symposiums, medical law and insurance law seminars and conferences, and gives exclusive interviews to the media on topical issues concerning medical and healthcare law.
Professional experience
Collapse allBachelor of Laws - Unisa
- Attorney qualified in South Africa 2018
- Defending high value medical malpractice claims instituted against public and private healthcare sectors. These claims may be classified under the most common categories of medical negligence claims including:
- Childbirth injuries, such as cerebral palsy and brain damage;
- Incorrect diagnosis, monitoring and treatment, including retinopathy of prematurity; orthopaedic and neurological injuries, septicaemia, treatment of cerebrospinal leak;
- Surgical error/wrongful surgery as a result of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography resulting in perforated duodenum and post ERCP pancreatitis, wrongful diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy.
- Personal injury matters including injuries sustained in the workplace, as a result of the use of escalators, and due to slip and trip.
- Business interruption and subrogated recovery claims, including coverage advice to insurers.
- Regulatory advice to local and international private hospital networks on aspects concerning terms and conditions of admission, policy interpretation, policy review and policy drafting.
- Regulatory advice to major pharmaceutical companies and manufacturers of medicine and medical devices.
- Regulatory advice to the largest international stem cell donor organisation in respect of its South African operations.
- Regulatory advice to a top treatment and research centre overseas regarding the terms of use of artificial intelligence medical treatment plans in South Africa.
- Representing healthcare practitioners in professional conduct proceedings before the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).
- Complex arbitrations on behalf of both local and international clients.
- November 2021, "The Ethics and Legalities of Telehealth" https://www.medicalacademic.co.za/ethics/the-ethics-and-legalities-of-telehealth/
- November 2021, "Failed cerebral palsy appeal illustrates 'risk of not giving evidence'" https://www.medicalbrief.co.za/failed-cerebral-palsy-appeal-illustrates-risk-of-not-giving-evidence/
- January 2021, "HPCSA – Primary guardian of morals of the health profession" https://www.medicalacademic.co.za/ethics/hpcsa-primary-guardian-of-morals-of-the-health-profession/
- January 2021, "Duty to protect the public prevails over a healthcare practitioner's need to practice" https://www.medicalacademic.co.za/ethics/duty-to-protect-the-public-prevails-over-a-healthcare-practitioners-need-to-practice/
- July 2020, "Court set aside gynaecologist's conviction and sentence on irregularities only" https://www.medicalbrief.co.za/archives/concourt-set-aside-gynaecologists-conviction-and-sentence-on-irregularities-only/
- February 2020, "Negligent failure to perform caesarean section in time (UK)", https://www.financialinstitutionslegalsnapshot.com/2020/02/negligent-failure-to-perform-caesarean- section-in-time-uk/
- January 2020, "Failure to warn of risks of surgery does no give rise to automatic claim for damages", https://www.polity.org.za/article/failure-to-warn-of-risks-of-surgery-does-not-give-rise-to-automatic-claim-for-damages-2020-01-15
- January 2020, "Future medical expenses can be payable in kind", https://www.riskafrica.com/future-medical-expenses-can-be-payable-in-kind/
- August 2019, "Think twice before rejecting a Calderbank offer", https://www.financialinstitutionslegalsnapshot.com/2019/08/think-twice-before-rejecting-a- calderbank-offer/
- July 2019, "The rise of the human genome", https://www.medicalacademic.co.za/news/the-rise-of-the-human-genome/
- May 2019, "Court of Appeal swayed by surgeon's detailed med scheme notes", https://www.medicalbrief.co.za/archives/court-appeal-swayed-surgeons-detailed-med-scheme-notes/
- May 2019, "Neurologist's failure to inform patient of medication side-effects", https://www.medicalbrief.co.za/archives/neurologists-failure-inform-patient-medication-side-effects/
- March 2019. "What's on the insurance horizon in 2019?", Norton Rose Fulbright SA Inc. Financial Institutions Blog https://www.financialinstitutionslegalsnapshot.com/2019/05/whats-on-the-horizon-for-the-insurance-industry-in-2019/
- February 2019. "Is it safe to rely on a court to draw an adverse inference from the absence of a witness", De Rebus http://www.derebus.org.za/is-it-safe-to-rely-on-a-court-to-draw-an-adverse-inference-from-the-absence-of-a-witness/
- January 2019, "Personalised medicine: Implications for insurance industry and consumers", Moneymarketing Magazine https://www.financialinstitutionslegalsnapshot.com/2019/01/personalised-medicine-implications-for-the-insurance-industry-and-for-consumers/
- January 2019, "Damages not recoverable for raising IVF conceived child born without father's informed consent", Norton Rose Fulbright SA Inc. Financial Institutions blog https://www.financialinstitutionslegalsnapshot.com/2019/01/damages-not-recoverable-for-raising-ivf-conceived-child-born-without-fathers-informed-consent/
- December 2018, "The effect of legalisation of cannabis on the insurance industry', Norton Rose Fulbright LLP, Insurance Focus https://www.financialinstitutionslegalsnapshot.com/2019/01/personalised-medicine-implications-for-the-insurance-industry-and-for-consumers/
- January 2018, "Is a 'union style' medical indemnity cover the answer?", Medical Brief https://www.medicalbrief.co.za/archives/union-style-medical-indemnity-cover-answer/
- April 2017, "Private Practice Pains", Drum Magazine and You magazine https://financialinstitutionslegalsnapshot.lexblogplatformthree.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/161/2018/01/Drum-article.pdf
- February 2017, "SA's obs-gynae crisis: Innovative Risk Solutions Needed", Medical Brief https://www.medicalbrief.co.za/archives/sas-obs-gynae-crisis-innovative-risk-solutions-needed/
- January 2017, "Construction in South Africa: Beware of Bespoke Contracts", Norton Rose Fulbright Inside Africa http://www.insideafricalaw.com/blog/construction-in-south-africa-beware-of-bespoke-contracts
Webinar, Medical Academic
Title of Webinar: Medical Malpractice: A Synopsis of Recent Case Law
Webinar, SAMED, October 2021
Title of Webinar: The Ethics and Legalities of Telemedicine/Telehealth
Law.com, May 2021
Exclusive interview: Vaccine laws in Africa
Webinar: Medical Academic, April 2021
Title of Webinar: Medical Record-keeping – A healthcare practitioner's window of opportunity
Webinar, Norton Rose Fulbright, March 2021
Title of webinar: The Ethics and Legalities of Vaccines and Vaccination Laws
Insurance Law Seminar, Norton Rose Fulbright, October 2019
Title of presentation: Avoidance and cancellation of non-life policies
University of Witwatersrand: School of Clinical Science/Janilite Medico-Legal/Norton Rose Fulbright, Cerebral Palsy Conference, October 2019
Title of presentation: The epidemic of cerebral palsy litigation & the prospects for legal reform
Gauteng Medico-legal Symposium, September 2019
Title of presentation: Patient record-keeping: A healthcare practitioner's window of opportunity
Polokwane Medico-legal Symposium, August 2019
Title of presentation: Patient record-keeping: A healthcare practitioner's window of opportunity
Business Report/Personal Finance, July 2019
Exclusive interview: The rights of patients and duties of doctors when prescribing medication
Medical Law Seminar, Norton Rose Fulbright, June 2019
Title of presentation: The Rise of the Human Genome
Times Media, May 2019
Exclusive interview: Informed consent and the decision in Beukes v Smith
Human Genetics Seminar, School of Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand, November 2018
Title of presentation: Personalised medicine and the implications for healthcare practitioners
YOU & Drum magazines, April 2017
Interview: The rise of medical negligence cases in the public healthcare sector
Law Society of the Northern Provinces
- English