Birth Injuries Identified as UK’s Main Reason for Increased Medical Negligence Compensation

New statistics have revealed that birth injuries are the single biggest contributor to the increase in medical negligence compensation in the UK.

The highest payments for birth injuries typically involve cases where babies are starved of oxygen at birth. Poor standards of care during maternity has been a common factor in many cases.

The total compensation for the serious medical negligence claims over the past 14 years was £1.8 billion, with over 600 patients receiving over £1 million. Some 314 babies were left with cerebral palsy due to during birth injuries during this period. Two recent awards illustate the problems created by child births, which can lead a child needing lifelong long-term care: a ten year old boy was awarded £7.1 million due to severe brain damage from birth and another child received a settlement of £9.7 million compensation after being left badly disabled by a birth injury.