£50,000 secured for a family following their son’s preventable stillbirth
Our experts recently agreed a settlement of £50,000 for a family who lost their second child to a stillbirth that should have been avoided by
17th March 2026
Losing a baby or a young child is an experience of unimaginable pain, leaving families with countless questions and a deep need for answers. Understanding the cause of such a tragedy is essential for the grieving process, and an inquest plays a critical role in uncovering the truth. This process, while necessary, can be overwhelming and complex. Our team of experienced and compassionate legal advisors are here to guide you through each step, offering the support you need to focus on healing while we handle the legal process.
An inquest seeks to clarify the circumstances surrounding an unexpected death, providing a thorough investigation into any missed opportunities and consider the circumstances leading to an unexpected death. We understand the emotional toll this process takes, and work hard to alleviate as much of that burden as possible. Our legal team will ensure that every detail is meticulously examined, giving you the clarity and peace of mind you deserve.
With our expertise, we aim to make this difficult journey as manageable as possible. We are committed to identifying the truth of what happened, ensuring that your family have the answers needed to move forward. Whether the inquest reveals issues of medical negligence or other factors, our team is prepared to represent your interests with dedication and compassion.
To arrange a confidential consultation with our caring and highly skilled solicitors, please call 01253 766 559 or email **@*******co.uk today. We are here to support you every step of the way.
To start a claim today, or for more information simply complete the form below.
At Diane Rostron, our team of experienced solicitors are dedicated to guiding families through the most challenging times. We specialise in birth injury and medical negligence cases, bringing a wealth of expertise and sensitivity. Our approach is both compassionate and meticulous, ensuring that every detail is thoroughly investigated to uncover the sequence of events leading to a child’s death, and whether it could have been prevented with better medical care.
We adopt a forensic approach, carefully scrutinising hospital care and potential negligence to build a clear and compelling case. Collaborating with leading independent medical experts, we leave no stone unturned in our pursuit of justice and answers for your family.
Empathy is at the heart of our service. We understand that this is a profoundly personal and emotional journey. Our solicitors are not only experts in the legal field, but also compassionate advocates, providing unwavering support and guidance throughout the inquest process. We aim to make this difficult period as stress free as possible, offering clear communication and helping you to navigate each step with confidence.
By choosing Diane Rostron, you are selecting a team that prioritises your family’s needs, combining legal excellence with a deep understanding of the grief you are suffering. We are committed to fighting for the justice and closure you deserve, making sure that every question is answered and every avenue explored.
The loss of a child is a devastating experience, and families need time and space to grieve. At Diane Rostron, we understand the profound emotional impact of losing a child. Our role is to provide specialist legal representation, taking on the responsibility of uncovering the detailed circumstances surrounding your loss. By doing so, we assist the coroner in their duty to investigate the cause of death thoroughly.
The inquest process is essential for providing the answers that grieving families need. It involves hearing from key witnesses, including hospital staff and independent experts, to build a comprehensive understanding of what happened. This thorough investigation is not just a legal formality; it’s a vital step in helping families find closure.
Our team is dedicated to handling the legal complexities, allowing families to focus on their emotional healing. We are here to ensure that every detail is examined and that families receive the clarity they need to move forward. The inquest process, while challenging, is designed to provide peace of mind by answering the most critical questions about the loss of a loved one.
By combining compassionate support with rigorous legal expertise, we strive to make this difficult journey as manageable as possible for the families we represent. Our goal is to alleviate the burden of the inquest process, ensuring that you are fully supported every step of the way.
When the unexpected death of a child draws media attention, the added pressure can be overwhelming for grieving families. Our experienced team manage all media enquiries on your behalf, allowing you to focus on healing. After an inquest, should you suspect that medical errors contributed to your loss, our team can guide you through the process of pursuing a medical negligence claim. While compensation cannot reverse your loss, it can provide essential financial support during this challenging time.
An inquest aims to investigate the circumstances surrounding your child’s death providing crucial answers.
Specialist solicitors handle the legal complexities, allowing families to focus on grieving, while ensuring a thorough investigation is conducted into the circumstances surrounding the loss.
If negligence is suspected, families may pursue a separate medical negligence claim for compensation after an inquest has concluded – even if the coroner’s finding does not apportion blame.
Media attention can add pressure to this emotional process. Our experienced team can manage all media enquiries and interviews on your behalf, helping to alleviate this burden and making sure that your family’s story is told accurately.
After an inquest families may consider progressing a medical negligence claim. This can provide financial support for the pain, suffering, and other associated costs.
After you get in touch with us, we will listen to you and discuss your situation, including the healthcare advice you were given, and any evidence of negligent treatment.
We will need to apply for your medical records from various places, including the place you had treatment, other hospitals, and your GP practice.
We will then provide an honest assessment of whether we think you have a claim worth further investigation. We will explain the claims process and the fees involved.
We will start collecting evidence to support your claim. This typically includes applying for any further medical records, other documents from the hospital, obtaining witness statements and independent medical experts’ reports.
Once the facts of the case are clear, we will contact the NHS Trust or healthcare provider to inform them a claim is being investigated. The Letter of Claim (LOC) will set out the details of the alleged medical negligence and the injuries caused.
The Defendant is required to respond to our Letter of Claim (LOC) within four months. At this stage, they will either accept full, or partial, liability and may offer a financial settlement, or deny responsibility.
If the Defendant denies responsibility, or does not offer a sufficient settlement amount, we can then issue court proceedings on your behalf to take the claim further. The Defendant will be given 28 days to respond, and the court will then set a hearing date, usually around 18 months from when proceedings are initiated.
It is important to note that while issuing court proceedings is an essential step, it is rare that you will need to attend a hearing as most claims that reach this stage can be resolved with a pre-trial settlement.
The Court will then set a timetable for the exchange of evidence in the case. We will exchange any witness statement taken from you, and receive the witness statements (if any), of the clinicians involved in your care.
There will then be an exchange of medical expert evidence. Each party can obtain independent medical expert reports in each relevant discipline. For example, in a birth injury claim, both parties would have commissioned reports from independent obstetricians. We disclose the report we have obtained on your behalf and the Defendant has to disclose the report they have obtained.
The independent experts then have a meeting, separate to each party’s legal representatives, to narrow the issues for the Judge in the event the case goes to a trial. After this meeting, the medical experts have to produce a jointly written statement to provide to the Judge.
It is usual procedure to attend some form of pre-trial settlement resolution with the Defendant, either in the form of a settlement meeting, or a mediation. We have a very strong track record of negotiating pre-trial settlements and will explore every potential avenue to do so if your claim reaches this stage.
If your claim settles at this stage and involves a vulnerable party, such as a child or an adult with a brain injury, an approval hearing will be held by a High Court Judge to approve the settlement reached.
If your claim cannot be resolved outside a court hearing, we can offer experienced, and highly skilled, advocacy to secure the best possible outcome for your family.
Most claims are resolved in full through the above process. However, very complex claims, including birth injury claims, require an additional step to assess the quantification (value) of the claim.
For birth injury claims, additional independent medical experts will be required to assess issues such as life expectancy and care needs, and the process above will be repeated for the stage of quantification.
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