U turn on funding for brain injured babies

Posted 25/09/2012

Sandra Patton, Head of Medical Injury at Ashtons Legal, confirms a turn around by the Government on Legal Aid funding for brain injured babies. She explains:

“Legal Aid is to be abolished for medical injury cases from April 2013. The only exception is for infants who suffer brain damage in the first six months of life. But until now, even that funding meant that the Government would take 25% of the damages for the baby’s personal injury and past losses, to pay into a pool (a ‘Supplementary Legal Aid Scheme’) to fund other such cases. This would have had serious consequences for the babies and their families who need every penny of their damages award to meet their needs for the rest of their life.  

This is a very welcome u-turn, hard fought for by those who have campaigned against the Government’s attempts to prevent patients suing by slashing funding. We are determined as medical injury lawyers that patients will not be prejudiced by these changes and retain their right to access justice where the law provides they should be compensated.”