Cauda equina negligence & malpractice compensation claims

What nerves make up the cauda equina?

The cauda equina is at the base of your spine. It contains and protects the second to the fifth lumbar nerve pairs, the first to the fifth sacral nerve pairs and the coccygeal nerve. It's a critically important area for normal lower body movement and organ function.

What causes cauda equina syndrome?

There are several causes of cauda equina syndrome, such as:

• A herniated intra-vertebral (‘slipped' or ‘prolapsed') disc in the lumbar area of the spine.
• Tumours or lesions of the cauda equina.
• A narrowing of the spinal canal.
• Where it develops secondary to a medical procedure.
• Infections of the cauda equina.
• Vascular difficulties or haemorrhage of the cauda equina.
• Pressure on the cauda equina caused by a narrowing of the spinal canal (stenosis), a
  lesion or a tumour.
• A birth defect.

In some circumstances, medical negligence in respect of cauda equina can lead to serious,
lasting problems. This can be due to:

• Misdiagnosis.
• Delays in treatment that were avoidable.
• Damage to the area due to sub-standard surgical procedures.

If you believe that your cauda equina syndrome has been caused by medical negligence, we
may be able to help you to make a cauda equina compensation claim.

What are the symptoms of cauda equina syndrome?

Cauda equina syndrome can be difficult to diagnose, as many people have similar symptoms
but do not actually have the condition. The symptoms of cauda equina syndrome usually occur
quite quickly. They include:

• Lower back pain which can spread down one or both legs.
• Numbness, weakness or tingling of one or both legs that can make normal tasks difficult.
• Numbness around the buttocks or genitals that can lead to incontinence or unexpected
  sexual dysfunction.
• Problems passing urine: this can be an inability to pass urine, not knowing when you
  need to pass urine or becoming incontinent without realising it.
• Problems with bowel control that may cause incontinence.

These are all serious ‘red flag' symptoms. It's important to speak to your GP immediately if
you're experiencing some or all of them.

If you've suffered a lower spinal injury caused in an accident that was someone else's fault or
believe you may have received negligent spinal care, you may be able to make a claim for
cauda equina compensation. Contact us for a friendly, confidential chat on .

How is cauda equina syndrome treated?

Surgery is usually needed once cauda equina syndrome is correctly diagnosed, which is
recommended to happen within 48 hours. This is to take the pressure off the nerves in the lower
spine. It might be:

• A microdiscectomy, which involves removing the part of the slipped disc that was
  pressing on the nerves; or
• a laminectomy, where a small piece of bone is removed to relieve pressure.

The aim of the surgery is to reverse the symptoms of cauda equina syndrome, and it is followed
by drug therapy. Left untreated, it can cause permanent paralysis and incontinence.

It can take time for bladder function to catch up with increased movement, but recovery usually
continues to improve over time. However, each case is different and depending on how severe
the condition is, it may take years to recover. This brings lots of life and work-limiting
challenges.

Making a cauda equina compensation claim can help you cover those extra costs and start
getting your life back to how it was.

Can I make a cauda equina compensation claim?

You may have a cauda equina compensation claim if you have had an accident that was not
your fault, or if you can provide that your healthcare provider has been negligent. In either
situation, we may be able to help you make a cauda equina compensation claim.

Accidents

Any type of accident that involves physical injury can cause lower back injuries, including cauda
equina syndrome. For example, a road traffic accident, as a driver or passenger, as a
motorcyclist, a pedestrian or a cyclist.

Cauda equina syndrome is often caused by road traffic accidents. The impact forces in a vehicle
accident can be huge and cause serious spinal injury. An average weight driver (around 70kg)
wearing a seatbelt and coming to a sudden stop at 30mph in 30 milliseconds will be subject to
deceleration forces of over 45 times the force of gravity - or ‘G'. That's like being hit with a
pressure of more than 3,200kg - over three tons - in a split second.

And for vulnerable road users like pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, it's no wonder that
back injuries can be very serious and potentially life changing.

Severe spinal injuries can happen at work, in a bad slip or fall in a public place or even while
playing sport.

Medical negligence

Cauda equina syndrome can also be caused by medical negligence. This may be because
during diagnosis, treatment or surgery, a medical practitioner makes an error which damages
your cauda equina or makes an existing problem with it, even worse.

This type of medical negligence isn't limited to adults, either. Cauda equina syndrome can be
caused by birth injury errors that could be potentially life changing for your child.

It doesn't matter how your cauda equina syndrome was caused. If it was due to someone else's
negligence, then contact us on . We may be able to help you make a cauda
equina syndrome compensation claim.

Why make a no win no fee claim for cauda equina compensation?

Serious back injuries can be incredibly painful and can stop you from doing the most simple day-to-day tasks.

In the worst cases, the effects of a serious back injury like cauda equina can be permanent. Even during the recovery phase, it can take a very long time for your life to get back to normal.

Cauda equina syndrome can have a significant impact upon your ability to work, and often creates other expenses too. This can put you and those close to you under a lot of pressure.

If your cauda equina syndrome was caused by someone else, either due to an accident or because of medical negligence, then we may be able to help you make a  no win no fee cauda equina compensation claim.

We work with a national panel of specialist cauda equina syndrome lawyers who'll support you throughout your claim if you're eligible.

Get in touch with us for free, impartial advice on , or fill in our secure online form to arrange a call back from us at a time that suits you. Our expert advisors can help you to understand whether you're eligible to make a cauda equina compensation claim and cananswer any questions you might have. There's no pressure to make a claim - that's entirely your decision.

Starting a cauda equina compensation claim: your first steps

If you're unsure whether you could make a cauda equina compensation for injury to your spine,
contact us free on 0800 376 0150. Our personal injury advisors will listen carefully to your
experience and will let you know if you may be eligible to make a claim.

If you are eligible and you'd like to go forwards with a cauda equina compensation claim, we'll
refer you to our panel of expert medical negligence solicitors. Your cauda equina negligence
solicitor will be your point of contact throughout the claim. They'll talk you through the process,
which will include gathering evidence, writing a letter of claim, and negotiating a settlement.

We're here to help and advise you. Whether you want to proceed with a claim is entirely your
decision. If you do want to make a cauda equina compensation claim, we can take the strain out
of finding the right no win no fee solicitor so that you can focus on your recovery.

We carefully monitor the standards of our solicitors' service so you can rest assured you'll
receive the best possible legal care. They'll keep you up to date and will be on hand to answer
any questions you might have.

What are the time limits for making a cauda equina compensation claim?

There are time limits on making a cauda equina compensation claim, as detailed below. It is,
however, best to start the claim as soon as possible so as to give your lawyers enough time to
prepare the claim and ensure that your memory is still fresh.

Any accident must have been completely or partly someone else's fault.

If you were 18 or over when the injury or medical negligence incident occurred, you have three
years to start court proceedings from the date of the accident or diagnosis linking the injury to a
possible medical negligence.

If you were under 18 at the time of the injury or medical negligence, a ‘litigation friend' can
represent you up until your 18 th birthday. However, if no one made a cauda equina
compensation claim on your behalf before you turned 18, you have three years from your 18 th
birthday to start court proceedings (i.e. until your 21st birthday).

There are some exceptions to the three-year limitation. This may be where a person lacks the
mental capacity to make a claim, whether or not that is as a result of injuries sustained in the
accident. However, if the Claimant regains capacity, however briefly, then the 3-year time limit
will start at that point.

If you've got any questions about making a no win no fee compensation claim, contact us for
free and impartial advice on . We'll listen to your circumstances and let you know
if we think you could make a no win no fee claim.

Alternatively, try our claim checker. This asks some simple questions about your experience
and will give you an idea of whether you may be able to make a cauda equina compensation
claim.

How is a claim for cauda equina syndrome calculated?

Personal injury compensation amounts for general damages are published by the Judicial College, which is the government department in the Ministry of Justice. This includes cauda equina compensation amounts.

There are two types of damages in personal injury claims: general damages and special damages:

• General damages cover pain, suffering and loss of everyday amenity.
• Special damages are financial losses you've experienced as a direct result of your injury.

Many cauda equina injuries usually involve long-term and serious effects. This means that compensation for general damages can be significant. Your cauda equina solicitor will assess your circumstances in detail and explain everything to you.

The Judicial College guidelines state that general damages for severe lower back injury with spinal cord damage range from £111,150 to £196,450.

In medical negligence cauda equina syndrome claims involving lower body paralysis (paraplegia), general damages alone range from £267,340 to £346,890.

In terms of special damages, it's very likely that you'll have suffered significant financial losses, which will be included in any cauda equina compensation claim.

How much compensation might I get for cauda equina syndrome?

If eligible to claim, your exact settlement figure will take into account a number of factors and
considerations which will be discussed by your specialist solicitor and the party responsible for
your accident. Depending on the type of injury, time taken to recover, ability to work, and
whether ongoing care is required, compensation figures vary case by case.

Try our free compensation calculator for a rough indication of how much you could claim. Or you
can find out if you're eligible to claim by calling our helpline.

Our team of expert cauda equina compensation solicitors do their very best to make sure you
get the compensation you deserve. Your solicitor will take everything into account when they're
calculating your cauda equina compensation claim. This will include things like:

• Your pain and suffering.
• How your injury has impacted your social life and hobbies.
• The cost of any medical treatment, therapy or adaptions to your home or car.
• Any care you've received, even if it was given by a family member who didn't expect to be paid.
• Lost earnings due to time off work and any impact on your future earning ability.

No cauda equina syndrome compensation amounts can take away what you've been through.
But it really can help you to get as much of your independence back as possible and live a more
fulfilled life.

How do people pay for cauda equina claims?

Our specialist cauda equina compensation solicitors specialise in  no win no fee agreements -
also known as conditional fee agreements. This means you will only pay our fee if your claim is
successful.

If eligible for a no win, no fee claim, a no-upfront-cost insurance policy will be taken out before
starting your claim. This policy is designed to protect you from costs and expenses during your
compensation claim, like court fees, legal expenses and medical reports. This means that if your
claim doesn't succeed and you adhere to the terms and conditions of your agreement, you won't
be burdened with legal fees or expenses.

Claim risk-free with our no win no fee agreements:

• No upfront costs.
• Fees only apply if your claim succeeds.
• If your claim doesn't succeed and you meet the terms, you won't pay anything.
• We'll handle the legal side while you focus on recovery.

Your solicitor will discuss everything with you at the start, so that you'll know what to expect
when your claim settles. If you don't win, you pay nothing to anyone.

We have specialist cauda equina solicitors

It can be daunting when you're looking for a reputable company to help you make a personal
injury compensation claim. You might be worried about the credibility of the solicitors you work
with.

You don't need to worry. We work with a national panel of carefully chosen personal injury
solicitors who have the expertise and knowledge to give you the best chance of making a
successful cauda equina compensation claim.

To find out whether you could claim, or for advice and answers to your questions, contact us
free on to talk to one of our friendly, personal injury advisors in total confidence.

We protect you from no win no fee hidden costs in cauda equina claims

Recovering from a serious injury can be expensive, and we know how important it is for you to
get support to cover the costs.

We don't think it's fair for you to be left under financial pressure, especially after you've suffered
an injury that wasn't your fault.

That's why our solicitors usually work on a no win no fee basis - it means there are measures in
place to protect you from hidden costs and charges. You can be assured that there won't be any
surprises along the way.

Speak to us for free, impartial advice on 0800 376 0150 or fill in our secure online form. We'll be
happy to answer your cauda equina syndrome claims questions and can help you understand
whether you could make a claim.

If you'd like to find out more about all the different legal stages of a compensation claim, please
visit our claims process page.