Cerebral Palsy Solicitors

Cerebral palsy claims are complex and require experienced lawyers to reach a successful settlement. This page will answer your questions, including how to claim for a birth-injured child with cerebral palsy. We will explain why working with an expert legal team who can offer holistic advice and support is important. Finally, we will share the stories of some of the valued clients we have been able to help.

Justice for families affected by cerebral palsy

Osbornes Law is proud to be a member of Action Against Medical Accidents, a charity for patient safety and justice. Our memberships and advocacy have allowed us to form unique partnerships with the best medical experts, health professionals and rehabilitation providers. Together, we ensure your case is investigated seamlessly, and you can obtain the most appropriate care, education and treatment throughout your child’s life.

Our senior solicitors are AvMA Panel members. They are also members of the Law Society Clinical Negligence Panel. These are very important quality marks and reflect that they have demonstrated the high standards expected of panel members of both organisations who select their panel members very carefully.

Experienced cerebral palsy solicitors

The medical negligence team at Osbornes is made up of approachable lawyers who are used to managing complex and high-value cerebral palsy claims. We have over 40 years of experience in this area. Our compassionate staff understand the enormity of your family’s challenges and are here to give you the support you need.

We aim to protect your child’s quality of life. To help us do this, we work hard to secure a lifetime award that will cover all of your child’s care needs, both now and in the future. Our lawyers’ job is to ensure you have access to the best therapists, care providers and equipment. To make this possible, we negotiate early payments wherever possible.

Osbornes has a team of Brain Injury lawyers and a Cerebral Palsy Team with over 25 years’ experience helping clients who have acquired brain injuries or brain injuries due to birth trauma or neonatal trauma.

Why choose our cerebral palsy lawyers?

• Clinical Background – Our most senior medical negligence lawyer is a qualified nurse who has spent many years working within the NHS. She has 27 years’ experience as a clinical negligence solicitor and is passionate and dedicated to her practice. Our Partners are very well known and regularly recommended for their expertise in this area.
• Cerebral palsy experts – We work on cerebral palsy cases from all aspects of NHS and private healthcare and are fully accredited by the Law Society and Action Against Medical Accidents.
• Medical experts – We have access to and regularly instruct leading highly experienced child brain injury medical experts to help us establish the impact of your injury. This assists us when negotiating your financial and care package to achieve the best outcome.
• Leading law firm –We are recognised as one of the country’s leading medical negligence practices in industry-leading directories, Chambers UK and The Legal 500. We are proud of our track record in securing life-changing settlements for children whose lives have been devastated by medical negligence.
• Clear and transparent advice – Our goal is to make the claim process as simple as possible. We want to help you get the answers and support that you deserve.
• A personal service – your solicitor will have conduct of your case throughout the litigation journey and will take direct responsibility for the day-to-day developments of the case from beginning to end. Accessibility to your solicitor is a service we take much pride in offering.

How do I claim compensation for cerebral palsy?

Making a cerebral palsy claim is a complex process. It requires a detailed legal approach to establish that the cerebral palsy was caused by a preventable mistake during pregnancy, birth, or shortly after birth. We recommend the following steps to proceed:

• Contact our specialist solicitors. It is important to work with lawyers specialising in birth injury, particularly in cerebral palsy cases. We’ll meet you face-to-face before taking the case on. We will assess the merits of your claim, guide you through the process, and explain the legal complexities involved.
• Following our meeting, we’ll advise you about the prospects of success. To succeed in a cerebral palsy claim, you must demonstrate that medical negligence occurred and that this negligence directly caused or significantly contributed to the cerebral palsy. We will also advise you on the potential value of your claim and how long it will take. If we all agree that Osborne Law should take your case on, we will discuss the funding of your claim, including whether to run your claim under a No Win No Fee agreement.
• Gather records of all medical appointments, treatments, and any communications with healthcare professionals related to pregnancy, birth, and postnatal care. We will request copies of all medical records for the mother and child, including records from prenatal care, birth, and neonatal care. These records are critical in establishing the timeline and details of care.
• Support you throughout any Early Notification Scheme (“ENS”), HSIB, or Serious Incident Investigation (“SIR” or “SII”) to help ensure a just and accurate outcome.
• We may arrange for a case manager to assess the injured person so that an Immediate Needs Report can be obtained as soon as practically possible. This will assist in identifying the injured person’s needs and to pursue a comprehensive rehabilitation package.
• We may need to engage independent medical experts who specialise in fields relevant to your case (such as obstetrics, neonatology, and paediatrics) to provide expert opinions on the standard of care received and the link to cerebral palsy.
• Send a ‘Letter of Claim’ to the NHS Trust or healthcare provider involved, outlining the allegations of negligence and the impact on your child. This letter starts the formal legal process. The NHS Trust or healthcare provider will have four months to investigate and respond. They may accept liability, deny the claim, or seek a settlement.
• If the NHS Trust or healthcare provider accepts responsibility, we will enter into negotiations for a compensation settlement.
• If a settlement cannot be reached or the claim is denied, the case may proceed to court. However, most claims are settled before reaching this stage.
• There’s generally a three-year limitation period for making a claim in the UK, starting from the child’s 18th birthday. This period can be extended for cerebral palsy claims, given the complexities in diagnosing and understanding the full impact of the condition.

How much compensation will we receive for cerebral palsy?

The settlement amount in cerebral palsy cases depends on many different factors ranging anywhere from thousands up to many millions of pounds in the most severe cases. Our case studies discuss the level of compensation our clients have received in the past.

• Six-figure compensation payment for a client
• Likely settlement of £15-20 million
• Seven-figure interim payment to support rehabilitation and housing
• Family accept £6 million compensation

Generally, the more severe your child’s cerebral palsy is, the greater the amount of compensation you could receive. The impact on your life and any financial hardships suffered as a result will also be considered as a proportion of the compensation will be paid to the child’s carers, usually their parents, to reflect their time caring for their injured child.

Contact Osbornes Law

Contact us today for compassionate legal support in claiming compensation for your child’s cerebral palsy. We’ll navigate the complexities of your case, ensuring you receive the care and compensation your family deserves. Call 020 7485 8811 or fill in the contact form below.

Related services

We specialise in other serious birth injury claims, including:

• Stillbirth Claims
• Erb’s Palsy Claims
• Delayed Diagnosis of Hydrocephalus and Malignant Tumour
• Spina Bifida Claims
• Miscarriage misdiagnosis Claims
• Birth Injuries to Mother Claims
• Wrongful Birth Claims
• Group B Strep Claims
• Pregnancy Negligence Claims