Cerebral Palsy Claims

If you suspect that your child’s cerebral palsy was the result of medical negligence, contact us for a free initial consultation. We will advise you on whether you could make a cerebral palsy compensation claim.

If we think you can, we will get in touch with those responsible for your child’s treatment at an early stage to see if they accept responsibility. If they do, we will try to secure interim compensation payments. These are advance payments of the final compensation award and can fund private medical care and ongoing expenses before your claim is settled. Any interim payments will be taken out of your final compensation award.

We will seek to settle claims out of court but will progress down this route if needed. For instance, if those responsible don’t admit responsibility, or disagree with the amount of compensation we believe you need, we will begin court proceedings.

Even if trial dates are set, there’s still the chance that your claim could be settled out of court. We will always act on your instructions and make sure you feel as comfortable as possible.

Some cases of cerebral palsy are caused by medical negligence, but not all. It can also be caused by abnormal brain development while a child is in the womb – this is undetectable at the time. A brain haemorrhage or lack of oxygen to the child’s brain can also cause cerebral palsy and sometimes this happens ‘silently’ with no signs or symptoms during pregnancy.

It’s also vital that every newborn baby is monitored for conditions and infections that could lead to cerebral palsy after they are born. We have helped families after doctors failed to monitor or diagnose:

• Hypoglycaemia
• Meningitis
• Jaundice (kernicterus).

The amount of compensation awarded in each case can vary because every cerebral palsy compensation claim is based on that child’s individual circumstances, level of disability, and needs. Your child’s lifetime needs are considered, which means claims can often settle for millions of pounds.

Compensation is calculated based on:

• The severity of the condition
• Yours/your child’s pain and suffering
• Necessary adjustments and modifications to your home
• Purchase and adaptation of a new home, if appropriate
• Therapies and rehabilitation required to meet your child’s needs
• Costs of a professional care package
• Medical, equipment and travel expenses
• Your child’s future loss of earnings.

Sometimes, the full effects of cerebral palsy may be unknown until the child develops. In some cases, this may not happen until adolescence. If that is the case, one common option is a ‘stay in proceedings’. This means your claim is placed ‘on hold’ and we wait for the child to develop. This way, we can understand the likely care and support that your child may need in the future.

If medical professionals admit mistakes were made, we can help you access payments to help pay for essential care and rehabilitation while the claim is on hold.

Contact us to discuss your situation in a free initial consultation. Once we know a bit more about what happened, we will be able to give you an idea of how much compensation you could claim.

If you are making a claim on behalf of your child, you can start the claim at any point before they turn 18. If your child is over 18, the time limit for making a cerebral palsy claim will depend on their level of mental capacity.

If you are making the claim for yourself and you are over 18, you have until you are 21 to do so.

In cases where people lack the mental capacity to make a claim themselves, there’s no time limit to make a claim.

Yes, many of our cerebral palsy claims are made on a no win no fee arrangement. When you make a no win no fee claim, you have nothing to pay until your claim is successful. At this point, most of our fees will be paid by your opponent.

To make a no win no fee claim, you will need to enter into an agreement that’s linked to a suitable insurance policy. We will talk you through these finer details before we start, so you always know where you stand.

Yes, cerebral palsy will affect a child for the rest of their life. It affects movement, coordination, and posture.

If you make a claim for compensation, we will make sure the amount you are awarded will be enough to ensure your child will have the support and help they need for the rest of their life.

If you are unsure about the cause of your child’s cerebral palsy but are concerned that it may have been caused by medical negligence, contact us for a free initial chat about your case. We will advise if we think we can investigate it for you.

If we believe that you have a claim, we will review your child’s medical records before asking a medical expert to provide their opinion on the likely cause of your child’s condition.