Cerebral Palsy Claims

Coodes’ specialist Clinical Negligence lawyers help clients throughout the South West and beyond to successfully pursue claims for cerebral palsy resulting from clinical negligence. If your child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and you believe this is a result of clinical negligence during pregnancy, labour or birth, we can help you secure the justice and compensation to which you are entitled.

Our approach to cerebral palsy claims

We understand that a diagnosis of cerebral palsy can be extremely distressing, with long-term consequences both for your child and for your family. We also recognise that cerebral palsy can often be caused by mistakes or negligence during your pre-natal care, labour and delivery. When cerebral palsy occurs as the result of the inadequate care of doctors, nurses or midwives, you may be eligible to claim compensation.

Our Clinical Negligence team are experts in cerebral palsy claims and have helped hundreds of clients to get vital financial awards. We combine expert legal knowledge in this field with a sympathetic and human approach. We will break down the jargon and help you to understand how to make a complaint and launch a claim for compensation. Working closely with expert medical professionals, we will help build your case, showing where treatment and care was negligent and how it has contributed to the diagnosis of cerebral palsy. We will provide guidance at every stage of your claim so that you have the best possible chance of securing compensation.

Can you make a claim for cerebral palsy resulting from clinical negligence?

Our Clinical Negligence team have specialist expertise in making claims for cerebral palsy resulting from clinical negligence.

Cerebral palsy is a broad term used to describe a range of physical and mental conditions that typically present as physical, sensory and cognitive disabilities. The severity and impact of these conditions can vary widely, from moderate mobility, sensory and communication disabilities to severe developmental delay, blindness and partial or complete paralysis.

Among the causes of cerebral palsy are a lack of oxygen – asphyxiation – to the foetus during pregnancy and especially during birth, and brain bleeds and infections during the pregnancy.

If your child’s diagnosis of cerebral palsy is linked to an undiagnosed issue during pregnancy or due to a traumatic or mismanaged delivery, such as a failure to monitor the baby’s heart rate, a delay in delivering the baby or the misuse of clinical drugs, you may be able to make a claim for compensation due to medical negligence.

How much will your cerebral palsy claim cost?

Many of the cerebral palsy claims that we advise on are handled on a no win no fee basis, meaning that there is no financial risk to you if your claim is unsuccessful. In some cases, your claim may be eligible for legal aid, if your child has suffered a serious brain injury.

Whatever your case, we offer a free initial consultation to help you understand the process and the likely funding basis of your claim.

How long do I have to make a cerebral palsy clinical negligence claim?

As far as your child is concerned, you have until their 18th birthday to make a claim on their behalf. After this it becomes the responsibility of the child to make the claim, with the three-year limit starting when they reach the age of 18. If they lack the ‘capacity’ to handle their own affairs, the time limit does not apply. Similarly, if the cerebral palsy claim is on behalf of an adult incapable of handling their own affairs, the limitation does not apply.

We recommend that you contact us as soon as possible, so that our clinical negligence lawyers can explain the process of claiming compensation, start your claim and help you access any other support and/or rehabilitation you need.

How much compensation could you receive?

Every case of cerebral palsy is different and so is its impact on your child. That’s why it is important to get expert advice from qualified specialist lawyers who really understand the unique nature of each cerebral palsy claim and who are experienced in working with medical professionals to truly understand the long-term implications for your child and you.

The amount of compensation that can be claimed will depend on a number of factors, including the severity of the condition, any financial losses you have suffered or will suffer in the future, and any changes to your lifestyle that you have to make as a result of your child’s condition. Whatever the case, our specialist clinical negligence lawyers will ensure that you get the compensation and support you are entitled to.

Of course, financial awards can’t fully compensate you and your child for the distress that accompanies a diagnosis of cerebral palsy from clinical negligence or address the long-term consequences. But compensation can help support you and your family to make any necessary adjustments to your lifestyle and help you get your life back on track.

Legal aid

Legal aid is available in cases involving children who have suffered serious brain injury during pregnancy, childbirth or during their first eight weeks of life. If this injury has resulted in severe disability to the child, public funding may be available to investigate a medical negligence claim. Coodes are the only firm locally to be able to offer this funding option.

In many cases, if your claim is not eligible for legal aid, we will be able to support you on a no win no fee basis, meaning that if your claim is not successful, you will not have to pay any legal fees.