"I became a lawyer because I wanted to help people. Ensuring the people I work for get the support they need, and seeing the look of relief on their faces knowing that their loved one will be safe and looked after for life – that’s exactly why I chose this career.
I first started working with Lotti and Marc in 2010, 18 months after their son Josiah sustained a birth injury that would change their lives forever. Josiah was starved of oxygen at the final stage of his delivery – the heart rate monitor showed signs he was in distress.
Instead of calling for senior review, the midwives turned off the monitor and it remained off for over 100 minutes. When it was turned back on, Lotti’s delivery was progressed to an emergency within 15 minutes. Independent experts suggest if Josiah had been born just five to ten minutes earlier, he would have avoided a brain injury altogether.
I can still remember the day I called Lotti to tell her that the Defendant had admitted liability. She burst into tears which made me well up too, and neither of us could speak. She says she still remembers the call vividly.
The interim damages payments the family received allowed them to access a case manager, carers, and get the equipment and support Josiah needed.
The conclusion of the case then came 10 years after we started working together, when it went to the High Court and the family received one of the highest settlements ever recorded for this type of claim.
Lotti and Marc had another child and moved to Sussex, to a house that was specially adapted for the family. We worked together professionally, and got to know each other personally. At times during the case, I’d spend more time talking to Lotti than my own family!
We remain in touch, as we’ve published a book in collaboration with Lotti called ‘My Name is Josiah’, designed to help children understand other children with disabilities and how to interact with them. Lotti wrote the book, and we were keen to support her with printing, and to help raise awareness of such a fantastic book.
Supporting people like Lotti, Mark and Josiah is a complete privilege for me. I find my work so fulfilling, and just can’t imagine myself doing any other job.”
Lindsay is a Partner in our Birmingham medical negligence team and specialises in spinal injury and birth injury claims.
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