Widespread ‘misunderstanding’ of cerebral palsy compensation amounts

A press release:

New research has revealed misunderstanding amongst the general public as to why compensation awarded to children and young people with cerebral palsy caused by medical errors is so high. The findings are from a survey commissioned by law firm JMW Solicitors about people’s attitudes to compensation and their thoughts about cerebral palsy claims in particular.

The poll revealed just 40 per cent  of respondents think the family of a child born with cerebral palsy because of medical negligence should be awarded more than £1 million, while more than half (53 per cent) believe £5m seems too high an amount. Eddie Jones, head of medical negligence and specialist cerebral palsy solicitor at JMW Solicitors, said the findings suggest a lack of understanding among the general public as to why high compensation amounts are necessary.

Mr Jones explained such claims will often run into millions of pounds because they are intended to cover the cost of various essentials across a child’s lifetime. He added cerebral palsy devastates lives, leaving children very seriously disabled and requiring specialist 24-hour care for the rest of their lives.

Mr Jones said: “We believe there is a general misconception about high compensation amounts, with some people under the impression this money represents some kind of windfall for the child and their families. The survey results appear to support our theory, as many respondents stated they do not think claimants deserve compensation that runs into millions of pounds. However, these amounts are carefully calculated to cover the specific needs of the child in question.

“A child with cerebral palsy will need a range of specialist and round-the-clock care, equipment and accommodation to have the best possible quality of life despite their often severe physical and mental disabilities. In addition, they also require help towards education, deputyship and holiday costs, as well as compensation for loss of earnings and pain and suffering caused. This all adds up across a lifetime and leaves little or no money for anything other than essentials.”

The survey also revealed seven per cent of respondents do not think compensation should cover any of these necessities, while 23 per cent said they do not think compensation should stretch to include holiday costs. It was shown that just 23 per cent believe the amounts are justifiable when compensation runs into the millions. Despite this, more than half (59 per cent) said they fully understand what compensation is for and what it is intended to cover.

To explain why the compensation amounts for children born with cerebral palsy are high, JMW has produced an infographic that breaks down the various costs involved and shows how the money is divided to cover all of the essentials. The sums are based on a recent JMW case.