A recent settlement has been reported, in which compensation totalling over £35.2 million was secured for a child living with disability following negligence during his birth. The settlement included a lump sum of £8,250,000 as well as yearly payments of £380,000 until he turns 80.

The child had a traumatic birth, in which there were two loops of umbilical cord wrapped around their neck and there was a knot in the cord itself. This caused him to be subjected to a prolonged period of chronic partial asphyxia, which means that they were deprived of oxygen, and due to delay in delivery, this caused damage to his brain. He also went on to experience hypoglycaemia following his birth.

In the above case, the complications during birth resulted in the child having cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy is a group of neurological disorders which can affect movement, muscle tone and motor skills, often resulting from brain injury. As well as mobility issues, he suffers with developmental delays, autism and behavioural issues, among other things, which will significantly affect him throughout his life.

No amount of compensation can ever truly compensate for such catastrophic injuries but the family of the child can take comfort in knowing that the compensation will assist for the rest of his life, ensuring that he has access to full-time carers, suitable accommodation, aids and equipment as well as ongoing rehabilitation.

Here at Williamsons, we are committed to assisting families who require this type of help, fighting for justice from any negligent healthcare provider. Our experienced solicitors have a wealth of knowledge relating to birth injury cases, especially cerebral palsy, and we are currently assisting a number of families with a child with cerebral palsy due to negligence. We know how difficult it is to suffer a traumatic birth, and to have your child suffer injury which should have been avoided. Cerebral palsy is a lifelong condition that often requires multidisciplinary care and rehabilitation and we have seen first hand the massive difference it can make to secure funds to put in place privately funded multidisciplinary care and rehabilitation.

In cases where admissions of liability can be secured, we seek to obtain interim payments, which is essentially receiving some of the compensation whilst the claim is still ongoing. This means that the family do not need to wait until the claim has concluded to start putting in place the rehabilitation and support that their child needs.

In the reported case, the compensation was used to purchase a forever home for the child and we have experience of purchasing such accommodation. We often work with architects to ensure that suitable accommodation is adapted exactly for the child’s needs.

At Williamsons, we are not just interested in seeking compensation for negligence, but to pursue justice and answers for those who have been let down. We focus on building strong relationships with families, working with them for many years and guiding them through the process. The thought of a claim can be daunting but we aim to make the process of pursuing a claim as easy as it can be. We are always happy to pick up the phone, should you have any questions about a potential claim. We can have a free, no obligation discussion which is confidential but most importantly friendly on how to proceed.

We also have a fantastic private client department, who can assist with the managing of awards of compensation, including putting potential large settlements into trusts or deputyships. These vehicles for managing compensation help ensure that the money received is well managed and used for its intended purpose, for things like rehabilitation and future care.

If you would like to discuss how we can potentially help you and your family, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our medical negligence team.