Cerebral Palsy Claims

Cerebral palsy is a complex condition, and, in some cases, it can take years to fully understand the extent to which a child has been affected and the level of care they may require. To ensure your child is adequately compensated, it may be advisable to wait to settle the claim until there is sufficient medical evidence available in support. If your child’s claim is likely to be lengthy, we can ask for interim payments to be made in the meantime so that you can afford the help you need and pay for other expenses, such as adapting your home and providing specialist equipment.

The amount paid will depend on the level of care your child is likely to require for the rest of their life. Other points will be considered, such as their quality of life and whether a parent has had to give up their career to become their child’s carer.

We can discuss with you the sort of compensation you might receive, as well as issues such as how the payment will be made. For example, you could opt for your child to receive index-linked payments for life, which reassures you of knowing that their care will always be paid for.

The first step in bringing a cerebral palsy claim is speaking to a medical negligence solicitor. If you would like us to take your case, we will start by collecting evidence of what has happened, including medical records, and advising the relevant health authority that you will be claiming on behalf of your child. We will put together a robust case and determine whether the health authority will be admitting liability. If they do admit liability for what has happened, we can consider issues such as interim payments. We will continue to have your child assessed by our medical experts so that a final sum in compensation can be agreed upon. If when the time comes, we do not believe that enough compensation has been offered, we can take your case to court. It is often the case however that cases can be settled out of court. 

Speak to our solicitors in Dungannon, Belfast and Dublin. For a  consultation with one of our expert medical negligence lawyers, call us on 028 8772 2102 (UK) or 01 533 7860 (IE).

We know that funding a compensation claim might be a worry, so we offer a range of options.

These include:

• Legal Aid

• Legal expenses cover

• After the Event insurance (ATE insurance)

• Private payment

For an adult, there is a three-year time limit for bringing a medical negligence claim. This is known as the limitation period. It runs either from the date of the negligent incident or the date that you became aware of the injury you suffered.

In the case of a child, the three-year time limit runs from the date of their 18th birthday.