Early Challenges: When Natalie was brought home, her parents sensed something was wrong. She had difficulty feeding and cried constantly. A specialist assessment at Grimsby Hospital revealed that Natalie had cerebral palsy and several other disabilities. As Natalie grew, her needs increased, prompting her parents to seek professional care.

Finding the Right Care: After an extensive search, the family found Stonecroft House, a Leonard Cheshire Home, to be the most suitable care facility for Natalie. Despite initial funding challenges, they secured the necessary support, and Natalie began her residential placement.

Legal Support: At a local Cerebral Palsy Society meeting, our client met Neil Holland from SJP Law. Years later, she approached Neil to discuss a potential clinical negligence case against the NHS and maternity staff. Her detailed journals documenting Natalie’s medical history proved invaluable in building the case.

Legal Battle: The case took six years to resolve, with the defending side weakening in the final years.  SJP Law secured a substantial award to support Natalie’s lifetime needs. The funds were placed with the Court of Protection, but accessing the money proved challenging due to bureaucratic delays and inefficiencies.

Transition to a Trust: Frustrated with the delays, the family switched the management of the award to a trust set up with SJP Law. This decision provided immediate access to funds and resolved the issues associated with the Office of Public Guardian. Neil, as the main trustee, ensured the correct management of the award, offering long-term confidence and peace of mind.

Ongoing Support: The trust allowed for the investment of capital, employment law advice, property advice, and payroll processing for Natalie’s carers. The comprehensive support from SJP Law enabled the family to focus on enjoying their time with Natalie without worrying about financial and care management.

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“It was very hard going at times, but looking ahead you realised she would have to be able to fend for herself as much as possible.” The damages have provided the degree of independence that the mother sought for her daughter and the family. Their home has been adapted as necessary, the young lady has learned to drive a specially adapted car and her familiarity with computer technologies increases the communication skills she needs to do her job. Those damages, as planned, will enable her to purchase her own home and provide an income support in the years ahead.

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Legal Battle: After extensive discussions with the NHS trust involved and shortly after initiating court proceedings, the hospital admitted fault for her injuries. The hospital’s chief executive sent a heartfelt letter of apology to the family and accepted the legal claim. However, the journey was far from over.

A New Home: At 18, the young woman moved out of her family home, which was no longer suitable for her needs, to a residential care home. Her family sought to move her to a specially adapted home where she could live with them. This request led to a court hearing, where the family sought interim payments of just over £1 million to fund the move. Despite objections from the defendant, the family prevailed, and the judge ordered the payment.

Adapting to New Needs: To ensure the young woman’s needs were met, disability architects were instructed to find a suitable property. Collaborating with the family, plans were drawn up to adapt and extend the house to cater to all their requirements. The house was purchased with the interim payment, and work began even before the case was concluded.

Settlement and Support: Four years after the case began, a meeting between the legal teams resulted in a settlement without the need for a trial. The case was settled for an overall sum of around £6.2 million, including annual payments of £160,000 to cover the cost of our client’s team of carers. This settlement is believed to be one of the highest achieved in the region.

Ongoing Assistance: SJP Law continue to support the family by administering the awarded damages, acting as trustees, providing investment advice, and offering professional support to the family and the team of carers.

This story highlights the perseverance and dedication of a family seeking justice and a better life for their loved one, proving that it is never too late to make a difference.

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We had built up a good relationship with our Solicitor at SJP Law during the case and we found the process of setting up the Trust comparatively easy afterwards because of this. 

We find that the administration of the Trust is straight forward with the help of SJP Law.  We set up an annual meeting to plan the requirements for the year and if we need anything we just give them a call. They are part of the family. 

We have had extra help from SJP Law in helping us solve day to day problems like getting a car adapted for our daughter to employment law issues for the careers we have hired to look after our daughter. 

We would thoroughly recommend SJP Law and have done so. 

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