Understanding birth injury claims
While the UK is home to some of the safest maternity care in the world, tragic errors and omissions still happen, sometimes with devastating consequences. A birth injury claim arises when substandard medical care results in harm to a mother, baby, or both, during pregnancy, labour, delivery, or the immediate postnatal period.
A birth injury claim can arise due to many complications and conditions. They may include:
- Cases of cerebral or erbs palsy
- Delays in delivery
- Group B streptococcus
- Perinatal asphyxia (also known as neonatal or birth asphyxia) / deprivation of oxygen
- Preeclampsia
- Ruptured placenta
- Shoulder dystocia
- Stillbirth & neonatal death
- Umbilical cord issues
- Wrongful birth claims
- Haemorrhage or excessive bleeding
Medical negligence is a failure by healthcare professionals to deliver care that meets recognised standards. In the context of childbirth, this might mean a delayed response to fetal distress, missed diagnosis of infection or preeclampsia, errors in instrument use, or failures during a caesarean section. Not all adverse outcomes are negligent, some complications are sadly unavoidable, but too often, avoidable harm comes from mistakes, poor communication, or lack of attention. For parents, the shock and trauma are compounded by uncertainty and the emotional burden of not knowing what went wrong.
Bringing a childbirth injury claim is never just about money. Most families we support hope to drive improvements within the NHS, protect future patients, and secure honest answers about what happened. Our legal team will gently guide you through what medical negligence means in your case, set out every option, and support you with empathy at every stage.
If you fear you or your baby may have been harmed due to medical or surgical negligence, making a claim can help draw attention to the issue and demonstrate what needs to change to avoid others suffering in the same way. If you experienced stillbirth or neonatal death, find out more about how we can support with that here.
