Hudgell Solicitors

Clinical Negligence

National  Joint Head of Clinical Negligence

Chris is recognised as one of the country’s leading figures in supporting victims of serious clinical negligence, handling some of the most complex, high-value cases.

Chris’ experience has improved and transformed the lives of his clients by winning admissions of liability and ensuring interim payments are awarded at the earliest possible opportunity. He has particular expertise in the areas of birth injuries, including cerebral palsy, serious brain injuries and catastrophic injuries.

He has more than 25 years’ experience and is a member of The Law Society Clinical Negligence Panel, where only solicitors who can demonstrate extensive knowledge, skills and experience in dealing with high-value and complicated injury cases are selected.

Career Highlights

I secured a damages settlement worth up to £20m in for a 17-year-old boy who was born with cerebral palsy.

The case alleged that an obstetrician failed to give appropriate advice to the boy’s mother in late pregnancy, when she had been worried about reduced fetal movements.

When her labour failed to progress, her baby was eventually delivered by caesarean section. The boy suffered permanent damage from chronic partial hypoxia which resulted in asymmetric quadriplegic cerebral palsy.

A trial took place in London’s High Court and an interim payment of £500,000 was awarded. A final compensation settlement could be as high as £20m, based on how damages awards are calculated around the needs of life-long care and support.

In another case I secured a multi-million pound damages settlement for a teenage girl who was left with life-long injuries after a catalogue of errors during her mother’s pregnancy led to her being delivered at just 24 weeks.

The settlement was approved at the High Court and saw initial damages of £2m paid into a trust with further annual payments to be made each year of her life to cover an ongoing dedicated case manager to oversee the girl’s many support needs.

The settlement also covered the costs for the girl to have 24-hour care when she is older as she will be unable to live independently. Should she live into her mid-80s, as expected, the payments will total around £8m.

I have also achieved several other seven-figure settlements, including for clients left suffering from avoidable cerebral palsy and Erb’s Palsy, and a person left with paralysis following a preventable stroke.

In all these cases the defendants strongly denied any responsibility and the claims were persistently rejected before justice prevailed.

Member of the Law Society’s Specialist Clinical Negligence Panel Advanced Diploma Personal Injury Litigation Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) Accredited Senior Litigator

Advanced Diploma Personal Injury Litigation Awards