Cerebral palsy compensation claims

If a member of your family is suffering from cerebral palsy as a result of birth, they could be eligible to claim for compensation. Not all children who are injured at birth are eligible for compensation. You need expert advice to assist you in determining whether you have a claim. At Hugh James we believe in providing excellent client care by keeping clients informed at each stage of the case. Our initial assessment of your cerebral palsy medical negligence claim, also known as a clinical negligence claim, is free of charge.

If we advise that you have a potential claim for negligence compensation, we will act to gather the relevant employment and medical evidence to build your case.

Our medical negligence solicitors have access to the best specialist medical experts to enable us to obtain evidence of past and possible future needs to ensure that you are adequately compensated for the disability you suffer. We treat every client with sensitivity and care, whilst aiming at the same time to deliver results including the highest financial settlement possible.

Hugh James has assisted many people to claim compensation due to negligence on the part of medical professionals in the fields of obstetrics. If after talking to us, you decide not to take matters further you are under no obligation to do so and you will not be charged for our initial advice session.

We are dedicated to your best interests and can advise you on how to proceed.

What are the causes of cerebral palsy?

The cause of cerebral palsy is damage to the part of the brain that controls our muscles, this particular part of the brain is known as the cerebrum.

The cerebrum is responsible for a number of brain functions including communication skills, memory and ability to learn, which is why some children with cerebral palsy will also have learning and communication difficulties.

Cerebral palsy is caused before, during, or shortly after birth. Causes include:

  • Maternal infection such as rubella or toxoplasmosis
  • Oxygen starvation to the baby’s brain during pregnancy or delivery
  • Premature birth
  • Cerebral haemorrhage (bleeds in the brain) during pregnancy or delivery
  • Genetic problems
  • Infections when a baby is young (especially encephalitis or meningitis) can also lead to cerebral palsy.

Generally, there are two main problems that can cause cerebral palsy in the development of a child: failure of the brain to develop properly; and neurological damage to the child’s developing brain.

In some circumstances, negligent medical care during labour or in the post-natal period following birth may be the cause of cerebral palsy.

A brain injury caused during delivery in many cases may have been preventable. Medical mistakes are responsible a proportion of cerebral palsy cases.

If you believe that your child suffers from cerebral palsy as a result of medical negligence, please contact a member of our medical negligence specialist team today.

Free no-obligation assessment

There are time limits on making a claim, so don’t delay. A free 30 minute consultation will let you know where you stand so you can make the right decision about how to move forward.

Why choose us for your cerebral palsy claim?

Our specialist cerebral palsy solicitors have been top ranked by both the Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 independent legal guides for this area of the law. We are the only top-ranked firm in both directories for medical negligence in Wales and one of the largest practices in the UK. Our lawyers are highly experienced and can provide a wide range of professional services.

Cerebral palsy claims can be difficult to prove, so it is vital to have understanding and dedicated solicitors on your side to assist you through the process. They will try to ensure that you receive the maximum amount of compensation to which you are entitled to.

  • Hugh James is one of the leading injury compensation claim firms for medical negligence in England and Wales.
  • Per annum, we recover over £30 million in medical negligence compensation for our clients.
  • We have offices in London, Cardiff, Southampton and Plymouth and can represent clients without the need for lengthy face-to-face meetings.
  • We have a range of qualified staff, including a former midwife, qualified nurse executives, welfare benefits advisors, medical records officers and qualified social workers to ensure your case has the best possible chance of success.
  • We can advise you on all aspects of your medical negligence claim, which includes social services involvement, financial advice and rehabilitation.
  • We are accredited by medical negligence charity Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA) and regulated by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA).
  • Find out about our firm or check out our Trustpilot reviews for further peace of mind.
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Free no-obligation assessment

There are time limits on making a claim, so don’t delay. A free 30 minute consultation will let you know where you stand so you can make the right decision about how to move forward.

Recent case study: Cerebral Palsy due to a birth injury

Our client has recently settled a clinical negligence claim on behalf of their son, who’s been diagnosed with cerebral palsy due to a birth injury.

Talking about their traumatic birth, the father said:

His injury was at birth. There was no indication of anything prior to that. It was very much in the final stages of labour. It all went drastically downhill very quickly in that final moment. Something wasn’t right around the whole experience.

After realising that there may have been a fault in the care and delivery, Mum and Dad wanted to see how they could make a change so someone else didn’t have to go through this and contacted the Hugh James specialist Medical Negligence.

Rhian Parsons, Partner in the Medical Negligence team said:

We were able to achieve a seven-figure lump sum together with substantial periodical payments for the claimant. The settlement brings about a peace of mind for his parents who are now satisfied that his best interests will be able to be looked after long term.

Your questions answered

The aim of any compensation is to improve your quality of life, whether this pays for specialist care or simply home adaptions. Our goal is to get you back to normality as quickly as possible and that’s we put out client health at the forefront of our mind when dealing with your medical negligence claim.

We will look at the compensation for your injuries as well as the financial losses you have as a result of medical negligence. Compensation is made up of general and special damages.

General damages

General damages compensate you for the injury itself: the pain and suffering you have already experienced and will continue to go through and what you are no longer able to do as a result of medical negligence.

In order to accurately inform you of the level of damages that you may be awarded, we will arrange for specialist reports to be obtained from various leading medical and legal authorities. They will examine you and have access to your medical records and be able to provide an accurate diagnosis and prognosis within their report. Once this evidence is in place, we will be able to notify you how much we think that your claim is going to be worth.

Special damages

Special damages are to compensate you for any past or future losses that have incurred or will incur as a direct result of the medical negligence which caused your injuries.

Past losses include:

  • private medical treatment and rehabilitation
  • prescription charges/medication
  • the purchase of aids and appliances
  • loss of earnings
  • travel expenses
  • care costs
  • personal belongings and clothing damaged in the accident
  • housing adaptations

Future losses can include:

  • future loss of earnings
  • loss of pension
  • accommodation costs
  • future private medical treatment and rehabilitation
  • care costs
  • aids and appliances

This list is not exhaustive, and we will carefully consider your situation and will try to anticipate your future needs.

We suggest that you start to keep a list of things that you have had to pay for since, and as a direct result of the medical negligence injury. We will need to prove the financial losses and documentary evidence such as wage slips, receipts and invoices will be very important in proving your special damages claim. In addition, it may also be sensible to keep a log or brief diary of problems that you encounter as this will help us to prepare comprehensive witness statements.

Personal injury and medical negligence cases are subject to time limits. It is best to contact a solicitor as early as possible to ensure your case can be dealt with.

Generally, the time limit for a medical negligence case is three years from the date the treatment took place or the date you were made aware that something had gone wrong. These rules can be extremely complex and varied and a lawyer will be able to check which time limit applies to you after some initial investigations. In some cases, time limits can be extended.

If a child suffers negligent care, a claim can be made up until their 21st birthday. Claims relating to children must be made by an adult on their behalf.

If a claim is brought on behalf of someone who does not have mental capacity, the three-year time limit does not apply. However, if mental capacity is regained, the three-year period will start at this time.

We will discuss the time limits with you during our initial consultation.

We will provide you with our free initial opinion in relation to your claim. After our assessment, we will tell you whether you have a reasonable chance of success, and you can instruct us to act on your behalf.

If you choose to instruct us we can offer you a no win, no fee agreement where possible, meaning you won’t be charged legal fees if you are unsuccessful. If your claim is successful, compensation will be awarded to you. A success fee will be deducted from the compensation. All other legal fees will be covered by the defendant should the case be successful.

All the financial information will be discussed with you, free of charge, before you decide to instruct us.

Next steps

We’re here to get things moving. Drop a message to one of our experts and we’ll get straight back to you.

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