Pages On: Birth Injury
Having a child is mostly a magical experience, however, preventable complications can arise. Medical professionals hold a duty of care to all patients, and pregnant people are no different. Injuries during childbirth can occur to the mother and baby where doctors and nurses act negligently. It can have seriously damaging consequences for the life of the child, such oxygen starvation leading to cerebral palsy. Such conditions can render a child essentially helpless, needing constant care. This not only removes the livelihood of the child, but the parents also. If you’ve suffered a birth injury, and feel medical negligence is to blame, you may be entitled to claim compensation.

Poor antenatal care for multiple births
Posted: 29 November 2015
Posted in: Birth Injury, Medical Negligence
A report published following research carried out by the Twins and Multiple Births Association and the NCT reveals that women expecting multiple births are receiving poor antenatal care in some areas of England. Guidelines laid down by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in 2011 and quality standards in 2013 on antenatal care have not been implemented in full in 80-90% of UK units. The survey of 1400 patients revealed that services in the North East of England were the best, while the South East and West…
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Mother loses baby injury case
Posted: 25 September 2015
Posted in: Birth Injury, Medical Negligence, Shoulder Injuries
A mother who attempted to sue the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) over the injuries suffered by her baby during delivery has had her case rejected. 34-year-old Lisa Everard claimed damages for her newly born baby after she felt that excessive force was applied to her daughter Sophie’s head when doctors diagnosed her with shoulder dystocia, leaving her ”with weaknesses in her left elbow and shoulder.” She said that the doctor who delivered her daughter was panicked and “muddled”, which led him to apply excessive grip on her head to…
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Brain damaged teenager to receive multi-million pound payout
Posted: 25 June 2015
Posted in: Birth Injury, Head and Brain Injuries, Medical Negligence
13-year-old Ben Harman is to receive a multi-million pound compensation package after an east Kent hospital admitted to causing his brain damage at birth. The brain injury happened when doctors failed to check his blood sugar levels after birth, despite clear warning signs that he was not healthy. It was heard that hospital staff failed to carry out any glucose tests until two days after his birth, by which point his condition had deteriorated, and he had suffered a brain injury. It was heard in court that Ben was severely…
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University Hospital deemed inadequate by CQC
Posted: 2 May 2015
Posted in: Birth Injury, Medical Negligence
Following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) of Whipps Cross University, a number of concerning issues have been raised with Barts Health NHS Trust. Concerns were raised about the Leytonstone hospital including staff bullying and patients being put at risk of inadequate care. Inspectors found short-comings in urgent and emergency care, general medical care, surgery, end of life care, outpatients and services for children and young people. They further went on to report that improvements were needed in maternity, gynaecology services and critical care. There is a culture…
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Failings responsible for 11 baby deaths
Posted: 3 March 2015
Posted in: Birth Injury, Medical Negligence, Wrongful & Accidental Death
An inquiry has concluded that the deaths of 11 babies could have been prevented had it not been for a “lethal mix” of failures at a Cumbrian hospital. An investigation into Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust found that a total of 20 different failings contributed to the deaths of 11 babies at Furness General Hospital between 2004 and 2013. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt described the findings as “a second Mid Staffs” in the House of Commons. The report stated that the highlighted failings represented the inadequacy of “a great many…
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Judges dismiss injury in the womb claims
Posted: 31 December 2014
Posted in: Birth Injury, Criminal Injury and Assault, Personal Injury
UK judges have dismissed claims concerning people injured in the womb under a program for the innocent victims of crime, arguing that the victims are not considered “persons” under the law while in the womb. The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) has criticized the ruling as defying all reason. The ruling followed a claim made by one affected claimant, however a further 80 children awaited the result from the Criminal Injury Compensation Authority, having also been affected by fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). It was ruled that compensation…
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Hospital pays out to brain-damaged boy
Posted: 9 December 2014
Posted in: Birth Injury, Head and Brain Injuries, Medical Negligence
Torbay Hospital in Devon is to payout £2.17million in compensation after a boy suffered severe brain-damage during his birth. The child suffered the brain-damage in 2004 due to his brain being starved of oxygen during labour. As a result, the High Court ruled that he is to receive a lump sum of £2.17m and £189,500 per annum until he is twenty. The annual payment will then increase to £232,125 for the rest of his life. Since the accident, the boy has developed cerebral palsy, is unable to leave a wheelchair,…
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10-year-old girl awarded £5m for hospital failures
Posted: 20 January 2014
Posted in: Birth Injury, Head and Brain Injuries, Medical Negligence
10-year-old Louisa Ravouvou, who suffered severe brain damage in 2003 due to hospital failures, has been awarded with £5m in a High Court ruling. Louisa suffered a bleed on her brain when in the womb, which hospital staff failed to treat, resulting in her brain damage. Not long after her birth, hospital staff failed to carry out a blood transfusion: resulting in “catastrophic brain damage”. Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust and Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust both admitted to care failures concerning Louisa Ravouvou. Louisa’s mother had been admitted to…
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Six-figure settlement for victim of caesarean section failures
Posted: 11 September 2013
Posted in: Birth Injury, Medical Negligence
Having endured a five-year battle for compensation, Candi Kaya (43) has received a six-figure settlement from Stafford Hospital for her life-changing injuries. When Ms. Kaya gave birth to her daughter Hani, she was left in excruciating pain for six days after the planned caesarean section – injuries sustained in the operation went unnoticed, and untreated. Having gone for six-days with untreated bladder damage, she developed urinary peritonitis, which also caused her bowel to rupture. This then led to Ms. Kaya undergoing a series of major operations, which resulted in her…
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Birth Injury Compensation Claims Birmingham
Posted in: Birth Injury, Medical Negligence
Pregnancy and childbirth represent exciting times for families, but the arrival of a new baby requires a journey that can be daunting, so it’s crucial that mother and baby are well-looked after in the run-up to birth. From time to time there are complications that arise both during the pregnancy and at the time of birth. Such complications can result in extreme stress and unfortunately may lead to both short and long-term complications. If you have either been injured during pregnancy or have a child who has been injured during…
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