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  • Cauda Equina Syndrome Claims

Cauda Equina Syndrome Claims

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If diagnosed too late or not treated properly, cauda equina syndrome can cause devastating side effects. These can range from bladder and bowel symptoms to paralysis. Making a claim for compensation can help to fund treatment and make it easier for you to live with this condition.

We’re the largest team of medical negligence solicitors in the UK. We’ve secured compensation for countless people who’ve needlessly experienced poor treatment for cauda equina syndrome. We take the time to understand your situation and then fight to get you the compensation you’re entitled to.

Call us today for a free consultation. You can also contact us online and we’ll get back to you as quickly as possible.

Why choose us to handle your cauda equina syndrome claim?

Our solicitors are highly experienced in representing people making cauda equina syndrome claims. Whether you were misdiagnosed, diagnosed too late, or not treated properly after diagnosis, we have the knowledge and experience to get you every penny of compensation you’re due.

Our medical negligence team is listed in the UK’s leading independent legal guides, The Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners. The Legal 500 calls our medical negligence team “the best in the business for looking after clients, on both a human and a legal level.”

Chambers and Partners ranks us in the highest band for medical negligence claims. They also list many of our lawyers as notable practitioners in this field.

As clinical specialists, our Support and Rehabilitation coordinators understand how medical care and rehabilitation can really make a difference to you and your family.

We’ve support and rehabilitation coordinators across the country. That means we have relationships with local care providers, charities, and support groups. We can use these contacts to help with your rehabilitation.

The immediate aftermath of an incident is often the most difficult time as you and your family come to terms with your new circumstances. So, we’ll work quickly to assess:

  • Your rehabilitation needs
  • What support you need with health and social issues
  • Any financial help you may need.

We can also work with your family and other carers to help them understand the kind of support you need.

We also offer the services of our Asset Management team. These financial experts can advise you on how to get the most out of your compensation. They'll help you to plan for your future and advise you on how to make your money work for you.

We're the official legal partner of the Brain and Spine Foundation, which is a registered charity that offers professional information and support to people affected by any neurological conditions.

We’re proud to work with the Cauda Equina Champions Charity, which was set up by Claire Thornber in 2013. Their aim is to raise awareness of the condition, the red flag symptoms, and the need for an early diagnosis and treatment.

We’re also a proud partner of the Spinal Injuries Association, who work tirelessly to help everyone with a spinal cord injury lead a fulfilling life.

No Win No Fee*

In-house support and rehabilitation coordinators

The largest medical negligence legal team in the country

In-house financial advisors to help you plan your future

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Julianne Moore
Julianne Moore Partner Meet the team

More information on cauda equina syndrome claims

Cauda equina syndrome is a spinal condition where the nerves in the lower back are compressed.

There are several symptoms of cauda equina syndrome which are known as “red flag” symptoms. They include:

  • Sciatica and leg weakness
  • Back pain
  • Loss of feeling or altered feeling between the legs and in the genital/perineal area
  • Bladder disturbance such as the inability to urinate, loss of sensation when passing urine or the inability to feel when the bladder is full.
  • Bowel disturbance such as incontinence or loss of sensation when passing a bowel motion.

Cauda equina syndrome is a medical emergency, and if the condition is suspected you should be sent for an urgent MRI scan.

Depending on the results of the MRI, you should then be referred for decompression surgery. This relieves pressure on your spinal cord. The earlier this operation happens, the better the outcome.

A delay in diagnosing and treating cauda equina syndrome can lead to permanent disability. It’s vital the signs and symptoms are taken seriously.

Failing to diagnose and treat cauda equina syndrome can have serious and long-term effects.

These include:

  • Incontinence
  • Loss of mobility
  • Paralysis
  • Sexual dysfunction
  • Severe pain.

There are various reasons why you could claim. Some of the most common reasons include:

  • Misdiagnosis – Clinicians at GP surgeries, walk-in centres or A&E departments may not be fully aware of the symptoms of cauda equina syndrome. Not performing a thorough examination or taking a detailed medical history can mean that red flag symptoms are missed.
  • Delayed investigations – Symptoms need urgent investigation but there can be delays with arranging scans and operating. This may cause symptoms to deteriorate or mean that your recovery is less good.
  • Poorly performed surgery can fail to treat the issue and can make your condition worse.
  • Failure to recognise and treat post-operative complications.
  • Cauda equina syndrome occurring as a result of surgical errors.

To find out if you have a claim, it’s best to get in touch with us. After we’ve heard more about your unique circumstances, we’ll be able to advise you on whether you could make a claim for compensation.

Through decades of working with people who have cauda equina syndrome, we understand the impact this condition can have on your life. Our medical negligence solicitors will make sure your compensation reflects the severity of your injuries. Most of our claims are funded with a no win no fee agreement, which means there’s no financial risk to you.*

Our Support and Rehabilitation team can also put you in touch with charities and care givers. As trained clinical specialists, they’ll make sure you’re getting the treatment and care you need.

If you feel that your rights have been infringed, our public law and human rights lawyers may be able to help you make a legal challenge.

We can help you if you’ve been treated unfairly, discriminated against, or had your rights infringed by:

  • Government departments
  • Local councils
  • Hospitals, care homes and health trusts
  • Schools and Local Education Authorities
  • Any public body.

Our public law and human rights solicitors are regarded as some of the best in the country by legal directories The Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners. We've taken cases all the way to the Supreme Court, European Court of Justice, and the European Court of Human Rights, so we're not afraid of a challenge.

A woman sitting on a couch and speaking to a professional

They were always there to answer my questions and queries when I was at my most vulnerable and they persevered to obtain the best possible result."

Lisa, client

Cauda equina syndrome: Serhan Yildirimlar's story

Serhan Yildirimlar, aged 31, was taken by ambulance to North Middlesex University Hospital on 20 January, 2019, a day after suffering back pain while taking rubbish to the tip. 

He was unable to get out bed, was complaining of severe pain and that he could not feel anything from the waist down. Serhan, of Edmonton, North London, had also passed no urine and had been constipated since the night before.

We secured an undisclosed out of court settlement for Serhan from North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust, which denied liability. 

Saydie Farrell

“It’s our view that when Serhan was first admitted to hospital, he was showing red flag symptoms of CES, and with further investigations, this would have been diagnosed."

Saydie Farrell, Associate Solicitor

Read More Client Stories

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make a no win no fee claim?

Yes, most of our medical negligence claims are made using a no win no fee agreement. If this is possible, you won’t need to pay anything if your claim isn’t successful.

To make a no win no fee claim, you’ll need to enter into an agreement linked to a suitable insurance policy. We’ll explain the conditions of no win no fee before we start working on your claim.

Find out more about making a no win no fee claim.

Is cauda equina syndrome a permanent disability?

If diagnosed and treated swiftly, cauda equina syndrome shouldn’t be a permanent disability.

However, you can be left with permanent disabilities if your condition isn’t diagnosed and treated quickly. Permanent disabilities can range from incontinence to paralysis.

Even if you’re treated straight away you may not recover completely. You’re more likely to make a fuller recovery the sooner you’re treated.

What causes cauda equina syndrome?

Cauda equina syndrome can be caused by several different things. The most common causes of this condition are:

  • A disc prolapse
  • Trauma or injury to the spine
  • Infection
  • A spinal tumour.
Read More FAQs

Related Information - Cauda Equina Syndrome Claims

Public Law & Human Rights - our Public Law & Human Rights team can help you defend your rights
Support and Rehabilitation Coordinators - we have a dedicated team of support and rehabilitation coordinators who will guide you through the claims process
Spinal Injury - if you’ve suffered a spinal injury, our solicitors could help
Great Adaptations - find out how we helped one of our clients modify his house

Scottish Flag All Scottish cases will be handled by the Scottish law firm with which we are associated, Irwin Mitchell Scotland LLP. The law relating to funding is different in Scotland and you will receive separate advice about what that means as well as a separate funding agreement.

 

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