£5.6 million award of compensation

Sara Westwood, partner and clinical negligence expert with MJP Solicitors has recently settled a case for an 11 year old girl who suffered a significant brain injury around the time of birth as a result of mismanagement of her mother’s labour. Last month the High Court in London approved a settlement of £5.6 million the majority of which reflects the extent of the care she will require during her lifetime.

If you have a similar concern or wish for further information please contact Sara Westwood on 01603 877000 or by e-mail at sarawestwood@m-j-p.co.uk

MJP Solicitors have a specialist team of clinical negligence injury claim experts who offer free legal advice about taking a claim, if you, a friend or relative have been the victim of medical negligence please get in touch with MJP Solicitors to find out what to do next on 01603 877000

Abolition of Legal Aid for Clinical Negligence

The snappily titled Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill (LASPO) has very recently become law and effectively closes the door for the vast majority of people seeking legal aid for clinical negligence claims. Only babies who sustain injury during labour, birth or in the immediate aftermath of birth will be entitled to legal aid. The changes will be implemented on the 1st April 2013.

The Government took the view the annual legal aid bill footed by the tax payer is excessive and needed to be slashed. Clinical negligence claims form only a very small proportion of the overall legal aid budget so it is questionable whether it will produce any real saving and some commentators consider the abolition of legal aid for clinical negligence will in fact only increase the cost to the taxpayer.

This is for the reason more cases will now have to be funded on a No Win No Fee basis in which circumstances the NHS Litigation Authority, claims handlers and insurers for most hospital trusts around the country, will have to pay a success fee as well as paying costs. The NHS Litigation Authority, a body which is also tax payer funded, suggested the Government should re think the position as they considered the abolition of legal aid would increase rather than decrease costs. It seems it all fell on deaf ears! I suspect any saving will be minimal if at all. The biggest losers will however be those injured by medical mistakes as they may now be denied access to justice due to lack of funding.


by Sara Westwood at sarawestwood@m-j-p.co.uk 

£30,000 compensation claim for HIP replacement hospital error

In excess of £30,000 recovered for a hip replacement which was carried out negligently when a globule of cement was dropped into the hip causing a thermal burn to the femoral nerve and required remedial surgery  After an initial period of disability the Claimant had made a reasonably good recovery but needed care and assistance from his partner in the early days. 

For further details on this or indeed any other clinical negligence claims contact:

Simon Bransby at simonbransby@m-j-p.co.uk or call 01603877000