Wrongful birth
Every parent has the right to make informed choices about their own pregnancy. If that right was taken from you through a missed diagnosis, incomplete testing, or a failed procedure, you may have grounds for a wrongful birth claim. We’re here to help you see the full picture, to understand what happened and what your options are moving forward.
Experts in Birth Injury Claims
Speak to an Expert
What counts as a wrongful birth claim?
There are a few common situations that might form the basis of a wrongful birth claim. Perhaps a healthcare provider failed to diagnose a condition affecting your baby, genetic testing was incomplete or incorrect, or you weren’t given the full picture, including the option of ending a pregnancy. A failed sterilisation that led to an unplanned pregnancy can also give rise to a claim.
Whatever has happened, we’re here to help with the difficult feelings you’ve been left with. We’re here to listen and guide with sensitivity.
How a wrongful birth claim is proven
At the heart of every wrongful birth claim is one question: If you’d been given another option at the time, would you have made a different decision? We know this isn’t always an easy thing to think about, but choosing to bring a claim doesn’t change how you feel about your child today. This is about what you weren’t given in the past: a complete picture, and the agency to decide for yourself. We can explain what should have happened, and what this could mean for you and your family.
What happens when you get in touch
Tell us what happened
Share your situation in your own words, in your own time. We’ll listen.
We review what happened
Your specialist will check your records and instruct independent experts to understand what, if anything, your clinician should have done differently.
We explain your options
If there’s a claim to bring, we’ll talk you through what it could mean, honestly and without pressure.
You decide what happens next
There’s no obligation to proceed, at any point.
What compensation can support
Although no amount of money will undo what you’ve been through, it can make a genuine difference to what comes next. This could include the additional costs of raising a child with complex needs, medical and therapeutic care, and lost earnings if you’ve had to reduce your hours or stop work altogether. Compensation also covers a mother’s own experience of childbirth, alongside the emotional impact it can have on the whole family, with therapy or counselling costs often claimable as special damages.
Whatever support your family has come to need, we’ll make sure it’s accounted for.
Funding explained
We work on a no win, no fee basis, so there’s no upfront cost and nothing to pay if the claim isn’t successful. For claims involving a brain injury or significant harm, we won’t charge a success fee at all.
Time limits for wrongful birth claims
In most cases, you have three years from your child’s birth, or from when you first became aware of what happened, whichever is later. Because this is your own claim, brought by you as a parent, it’s not something that runs on your child’s behalf, or can wait until they’re older. When you speak to us, we’ll listen carefully before confirming where you stand.
Why choose CL Medilaw
We’re accredited by the Law Society, AvMA and APIL, and hold a place on both the Bliss and Peeps HIE legal panels. Our birth injury team is one of the largest and most experienced in the UK, with a proven track record in cases involving incomplete antenatal screening and genetic testing failures .
We’ve secured multi-million-pound settlements for many families affected by birth-related negligence and take seriously our mission to change lives for the better. Whatever led you here, you’ll be working with a team that understands your situation and treats it with the respect and compassion it deserves.
Meet our Team
Our experienced team will be on hand to support you throughout the process
