Wrongful Birth Claims
During a pregnancy, antenatal checks and tests serve a dual purpose: they help to make sure that the mother is healthy, and they also assess the development and wellbeing of the baby, including screening for specific health conditions. When medical staff fail to detect a serious problem during a pregnancy, parents lose the right to make an informed decision about the health and wellbeing of their family.
A wrongful birth claim can come in two different categories, one of which is when hospital staff have failed to inform parents about a serious physical or cognitive disability which could have, otherwise, caused them to seriously consider whether to continue the pregnancy.
Our specialist team of experts understand how difficult the situation can be for parents who face a radically different set of expectations for their child, and their family’s future. A child who has a significant birth defect of a genetic or structural nature can require extensive and costly care that goes beyond the care you would give to a healthy child.
We understand that your child’s complex needs dramatically affect your entire family and that their care needs will feel relentless at times. It is not uncommon for one parent to stop working in order to look after the complex needs of their child on a full-time basis in these circumstances, something that you would not have considered nor planned for if medical staff failed in their duty of care to you and your baby.
To start a wrongful birth compensation claim, or simply to find out more, please get in touch today by calling 01253 766 559 or emailing completing the contact form.
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‘What always strikes me is how well-informed each individual is about every single case (of which they have many) and how each of them brings a different skill to the table. Diane is vastly experienced and there is no trick that she hasn’t written the book on. She is passing this onto the rest of her team and they get stronger each year. One particular strength is the incredibly resourceful in-house medical consultant, who works on each and every case, providing extremely useful insight into the medicine. It would not have been possible for me to prepare so thoroughly for cons, inquests and trials without the benefit of his very considerable expertise; enormous credit must go to Diane for tapping into such a rich vein of knowledge.’
‘Diane Rostron’s dedicated support and personal commitment to clients and their families makes her stand out from others in the field. She is the most committed and compassionate of solicitors that I have come across in dealings with in excess of 50 UK and worldwide law firms.’
“We would definitely recommend Diane.She is very informed and very knowledgeable. We felt very confident in her abilities. She was honest and direct, professional yet approachable and sensitive.”
“Diane Rostron is excellent. She is very professional but also very down to earth and was able to put me at ease from day one. The most important thing for me is having an open channel of communication and being kept up-to-date with progress and being told in layman's terms what the key issues are. This has always happened and I know if I contact Diane I will receive a prompt response. I have been waiting over 13 years for the opportunity to get justice for my son. I believe that my best chance of getting justice is to have Diane Rostron representing my son.”
“Diane is very easy to communicate with. We cannot express how pleased we are with the service she provided to us. She is a true professional. We would like to say a big thank you to Diane and her team from the bottom of our hearts. We would recommend her to anyone who needs a solicitor . Diane is first rate.”
"Diane Rostron has a rare combination of excellent judgement, tenaciousness, and compassion for her clients."
"The team provides an excellent and responsive service."
"Diane Rostron provides a consistent professional approach to all cases. She is noted to have a thorough understanding of their current situation and works tirelessly to find solutions to immediate difficulties they may be facing. Diane ensures that the clients are up to date with the progression of their case and is happy to speak to them directly if required"
Which conditions should be detected during pregnancy?
- Hole in the heart and other serious heart conditions
- Down’s syndrome and other chromosomal abnormalities
- Spina bifida
- Cystic fibrosis
- Brain malformations, many of which can cause cerebral palsy, learning difficulties, behavioural problems and epilepsy
- Sickle Cell Disease
What is involved in a wrongful birth claim?
To proceed with a wrongful birth claim, our experts need to establish that there has been medical negligence. In wrongful birth cases, our specialists focus on the failure to detect the problem at a stage in the pregnancy when they should have and then on the failure to inform the parents in a way which they understand, depriving the parents of their right to make an informed choice about continuing with the pregnancy or seeking a therapeutic termination.
Our wrongful birth claim team will support you every step of the way and have a strong track record of securing £multi-million medical negligence settlements.
What does a wrongful birth claim cover?
Wrongful birth claims do not compensate for the ordinary costs of raising a healthy child but will include the costs involved in meeting your child’s complex needs, both now and in the future, This will consider the cost of necessary therapies, such as speech and language therapy, hydrotherapy and physiotherapy; home adaptations and specialist equipment such as wheelchairs and bathing equipment.
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What to expect through your birth injury claims process
We will discuss your case with you, including the errors you believe were made during your child’s birth and the effect this has had on their health, wellbeing and ability to function day-to-day. We will then provide an honest assessment of whether we think you have a claim worth further investigation and explain the claims process and fees involved.
We will bring together all the essential evidence to support your erb’s palsy claim, including medical records, witness statements and evidence from independent medical experts.
We will then contact the NHS Trust or healthcare provider that you believe is responsible for your child’s erb’s palsy in writing. This letter will detail the alleged medical negligence and the resulting injury to your child.
The defendant has 4 months to investigate your claim and to provide a response. This will generally either involve them accepting full or partial liability and offering a financial settlement or denying responsibility. If a settlement is offered, we will advise you on whether we think it is reasonable and, if not, what further action can be taken.
If you are not satisfied with the defendant’s response and any offer of compensation, we can issue court proceedings. The defendant will have 28 days to respond, after which the court will set a date for a hearing. Typically, your hearing date will be around 18 months after proceedings are initiated.
In most cases where a claim has reached this stage, we will be able to secure a pre-trial settlement allowing you to avoid a court hearing. We have a very strong negotiating team to help ensure any settlement reached meets your child’s lifelong needs.
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.
You can hear from some of the families that we have helped here.
Latest News & Blogs
£6.3 million settlement approved following alleged preventable birth injury in Blackpool
The High Court in London has approved a £6.3 million settlement today, Monday 29th March, following an alleged preventable birth injury at the Blackpool Victoria
My baby suffered a birth injury several years ago, can I still make a claim for compensation?
When a serious birth injury has occurred leading to catastrophic lifelong injuries, such as brain damage resulting in cerebral palsy, there is no time limit
Being heard after a serious birth injury
We talked to Wales This Week recently about the maternity services delivered at the Royal Glamorgan and Prince Charles hospitals, run by the Cwm Taf
Start Your Wrongful Birth Claim
If you believe that your child suffers from a severe congenital or genetic disorder that should have been spotted by medical staff during the pregnancy, we are here to help you with this challenging situation.
Get in touch here for an initial free consultation to assess your case and understand how we can work with you to improve your child’s life. Call 01253 766 559 or complete the form below.