When medical mistakes are made during childbirth, it can lead to devastating consequences. If you or your child has been injured during childbirth due to medical negligence, Slater and Gordon’s specialist birth injury solicitors can help you get the compensation you deserve.
Expectant mothers can often feel extremely cautious and vulnerable during both pregnancy and childbirth. During such an emotional time, it’s important that you receive the best care possible and feel safe with the medical professionals looking after you.
However, there are times when standards slip, and medical professionals fail to diagnose or treat issues that arise during pregnancy. When this happens, you can be left dealing with unnecessary injuries or illness, for which you are entitled to make a claim for birth injury compensation.
Compensation cannot undo what has happened to you or your child, but it can help to support you financially as your family recovers, as well as providing access to any treatment or rehabilitation you may need.
Am I entitled to make a birth injury claim?
If you or your child were injured due to the negligence of medical professionals, before, during or after birth, you may be entitled claim birth injury compensation. There are many different scenarios that can lead to birth injuries, for either the mother or the child, which include:
Birth injuries to the mother
Perineal tears - third and fourth degree
Wrongly performed episiotomies
Mistakes in suturing tears or episiotomies
Fissures
Injuries to organs from caesarean sections or failing to recognise damage at the time
Retained swabs
Errors in managing pre-eclampsia
Birth injuries to the child
Cerebral palsy
Brain injuries
Fractures to the skull, legs, arm, shoulder and collarbone
Cuts and scars
Hip dysplasia
Fatalities
If you believe you or your child have been injured due to medical negligence, contact us to establish your full legal position.
Sadie's story | Mum's Fight For Answers After Losing Baby Due to Hospital Mistakes
Danielle was expecting her first baby girl when hospital errors led to a mismanaged delivery.
Here she bravely recounts the traumatic circumstances that resulted in the tragic loss of her new born, Sadie Pye, and offers advice to others on how she fought to recover.
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It has been a difficult journey recollecting the events of my son's birth, however, we have never felt alone. Jodie kept us well informed and was very efficient at answering any questions, concerns, or general worries. There are no words that can express how grateful are. Knowing he is going to be able to have the right equipment and support to live his life to his fullest potential just puts us at ease, and is such a relief.
Client testimonial for Jodie Cook
We would like to say a big thank you to you personally for doing everything possible to get justice for our son. We feel very privileged to have you on our side and fighting for him, and for us. We appreciate his case is quite a complex one, but you haven't given up on us and you've been in our corner all the way. We're so grateful to you all for everything you've done and are continuing to do.
Client testimonial (for Emma Doughty)
I can't thank you enough for all your hard work. The excellent result means that my child’s future is now secure and I know that she will have the best care and therapy to make sure that she has the best life that she possibly can which means so much to me.
Client testimonial (for Yvonne Agnew)
Can I get financial support before my claim for birth injury compensation is settled?
Interim payments are payments which are made before your case reaches a final conclusion. They can be extremely useful for those who've experienced a birth injury as they can pay for private medical treatments, rehabilitation support and equipment, as well as providing financial support if you’ve suffered a loss of earnings.
We’ll ensure we secure interim payments for you at the earliest convenience. Contact us to establish your full legal position by calling 0330 041 5869.
Why should I choose Slater and Gordon’s birth injury solicitors?
At Slater and Gordon, our expert medical negligence team is one of the best in the country, and our solicitors have many years’ experience in handling a range of cases, from the straightforward to the complex. We know the impact that stillbirth can have on you and your family, particularly if you believe that medical negligence is to blame and work hard to ensure you get the answers and the compensation you deserve.
Our industry-leading team are consistently ranked highly in independent legal directories, such as Chambers and Partners, and the Legal 500, and are proud to have helped numerous clients achieve the compensation they deserve. As well as expert lawyers specialising in the field of medical negligence, we also have trained nurses and midwives on our team with the knowledge and expertise to provide the best service possible for our clients.
Frequently asked questions about birth injury claims
How much time do I have to make a birth injury claim?
If you believe you have a claim, it’s important that you seek advice from a lawyer who specialises in medical negligence cases as soon as possible, as there are time limits in place in England, Scotland and Wales.
Generally, a claim should be made within three years from the date the negligence occurred or the date you were first aware that you had suffered a significant injury or illness due to negligence. However, there are exceptions.
How much does it cost to make a childbirth injury claim?
The majority of our childbirth injury negligence claims are funded by a Conditional Fee Agreement, otherwise known as a No Win No Fee agreement. This means if you lose your case, you will not have to pay any fees and therefore, there’s no financial risk to you.
Where a child has suffered from a neurological injury at birth or within the early neonatal period, Slater and Gordon are able to offer legal aid funding. It's important to note that not all law firms are able to offer legal aid. For further information, about funding, read our Medical Negligence Fees page.
How much can I claim for childbirth injuries?
Every case of childbirth injury negligence is different, and the final amount of compensation awarded will be based on the severity of the injury and the effect the injury has had on your life.
Additionally, you’ll also be able to claim for any lost earnings, any long-term care, rehabilitation and any necessary house adaptations to maximise the chance of recovery and independent living.
We’ll also ensure that any compensation claim includes the cost of everything necessary to provide you with the best quality of life possible in the future, such as future care costs, future treatment and future loss of earnings.
To establish your full legal position, call us on freephone 0330 041 5869.
It has been a difficult journey recollecting the events of my son's birth, however, we have never felt alone. Jodie kept us well informed and was very efficient at answering any questions, concerns, or general worries. There are no words that can express how grateful are. Knowing he is going to be able to have the right equipment and support to live his life to his fullest potential just puts us at ease, and is such a relief. Client testimonial for Jodie Cook
We would like to say a big thank you to you personally for doing everything possible to get justice for our son. We feel very privileged to have you on our side and fighting for him, and for us. We appreciate his case is quite a complex one, but you haven't given up on us and you've been in our corner all the way. We're so grateful to you all for everything you've done and are continuing to do. Client testimonial (for Emma Doughty)
I can't thank you enough for all your hard work. The excellent result means that my child’s future is now secure and I know that she will have the best care and therapy to make sure that she has the best life that she possibly can which means so much to me. Client testimonial (for Yvonne Agnew)