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Pregnancy and Birth Injury to Mother Claims

During pregnancy, an expectant mother is treated by a range of practitioners they may not have come across before such as gynaecologists and midwives. Everyone deserves the best care during their pregnancies and labour but, sometimes mistakes occur, and injuries can happen. If you have suffered an injury as a result of negligence during your pregnancy or labour, you may be entitled to compensation.

How we can help

At Hay & Kilner, we have many experienced solicitors (Clare Thompson, David Bradshaw, Lauren Hall, Helen Morland, Michael Taylor, Michael Scobie, Sophie Moss) to help with your pregnancy and birth injury to mother claim.

Who can bring a pregnancy/birth injury to mother claim?
If you have suffered harm, or financial loss, as a result of negligent treatment during your pregnancy or labour, you may be able to make a Pregnancy/Birth injury claim irrespective of whether the care and treatment was provided by the NHS or on a private basis.

Injuries suffered during pregnancy and labour can be physical or psychological. Hay & Kilner have acted for clients whose complaint relates to a range of pregnancy and birth related claims including:

  • Misdiagnosed miscarriage
  • Stillbirth and neonatal death
  • Failed sterilisation

Why choose Hay & Kilner?
Hay & Kilner’s team of specialised clinical negligence solicitors has recovered hundreds of thousands of pounds of compensation on behalf of their clients in pregnancy and birth related claims.

We provide a high-quality service and will take the time to get to know you and understand exactly what you have been through with your pregnancy and labour to get you the compensation you deserve. We represent clients across the North East and are happy to come out to see you at home if you ever have difficulty attending the office.

When to make a pregnancy/birth injury claim?
An Act of Parliament sets out time limits for bringing a clinical negligence/Pregnancy/Birth injury claim. Failure to issue proceedings within this time scale may mean that the Pregnancy/Birth injury claim is time barred and cannot proceed.

The Limitation Act provides that the time limit is three years from the date on which harm resulted from the allegedly negligent action; or, if later, the date when you became aware that you received negligent treatment.

In the case of minors that is for the people who are under the age of 18 years, the limitation period does not begin to run until their 18th birthday.

If the injured person is suffering from a mental disability the time limit does not start to run until mental capacity has returned. If mental capacity never returns then an action for damages can be started at any time in the future even though the primary 3-year limitation period may have expired.

Find out more about when to pursue a pregnancy/birth injury to mother claim with our article Is it too late to bring a clinical negligence claim?

How much does it cost to make a pregnancy/birth injury claim?
There are several ways a pregnancy/birth injury to mother claim can be funded; the most common being under a Conditional Fee Agreement on a ‘no win no fee’ basis. Read more about the different ways to fund your potential pregnancy/birth injury related claim with our article No Win No Feeand other options for funding your medical negligence claim.

How long will a pregnancy/birth injury claim take?
Pregnancy/birth related claims can take anywhere from a few months to a few years to reach a resolution. The likely timescale usually depends on the severity of your injuries and whether or not your doctor or other healthcare practitioner accepts responsibility for your injuries.

How do I start a pregnancy/birth injury claim?
If you think you may be entitled to compensation for an injury you have suffered, contact our team on 0191 232 8345 or using our online contact form and we will arrange an initial appointment to discuss your potential pregnancy/birth injury claim free of charge.

Meet the team

Relevant insights & events

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‘Hay & Kilner’ and ‘Hay & Kilner Law Firm’ are both trading names of Hay & Kilner LLP, a limited liability partnership registered in England & Wales with registered number OC418767. Our registered office is at The Lumen, St James' Boulevard, Newcastle Helix, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 5BZ and we are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (Authorisation number 643191). We use the word ‘partner’ to refer to a member of Hay & Kilner LLP. A list of the members is available at our registered office.