Cauda Equina Compensation

Solicitors specialising in Cauda Equina Compensation claims

Cauda Equina Injury Compensation Claims Solicitors

Millions of people all over the world suffer from a rare, and often misunderstood, medical condition. When you are first told by doctors that you have Cauda Equina, a rare disorder affecting your spinal nerves, you can be forgiven for feeling alone and vulnerable, and for thinking that nobody understands.

But Brian Barr Solicitors are serious injury specialists and work with clients with rare or invisible diseases every day, helping them get their life back on track by securing them the compensation they deserve. We can deal with cases involving Cauda Equina and understand that the impact of living with a rare disease goes way beyond your health concerns. Its effects can influence all aspects of someone’s life.

Causes of Cauda Equina

What gives Cauda Equina its name? Cauda Equina derives from the Latin word for horsetail and the collection of nerves at the end of the spinal cord is known as the cauda equina, due to its resemblance to a horse’s tail.

If the nerves in the lower back suddenly become severely compressed, then you may be diagnosed with Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES) – a spinal emergency where prompt diagnosis and urgent treatment are vital.

Cauda Equina is a rare disease that can affect both men and women, and unlike other back conditions affecting the spinal cord and the nerves, it is relatively unheard of. There are various campaigns today to ensure that medical professionals are aware of the warning signs of CES to enable timely diagnosis and treatment.

Cauda Equina can be caused by either a traumatic injury, or medical negligence. The most common causes of CES are:

a lumbar spine injury leading to complications, following accidents or traumatic event
a severe ruptured disk in the lumbar area,
Narrowing of the spinal canal (stenosis),
a spinal lesion or malignant tumour,
a spinal infection, inflammation, haemorrhage, or fracture,
a birth defect.

No Win No Fee Cauda Equina Claims

CES red flags

We all feel pain and strange sensations from time to time and often shrug it off, thinking it will go away as quickly as it came. Likewise with CES. Patients often experience a strange weakness and pain in their leg but often try to ignore it and put it down to a pulled muscle and attempt to carry on as normal. However, the pain can quickly become more intense and unmanageable.

Patients may experience some of the following symptoms or ‘red flags’:

Urinary retention (this is the most common symptom) – the patient’s bladder fills with urine, but the patient does not experience the normal sensation or urge to urinate.
Pain (also known as sciatica) in the back and on both legs
Weakness, numbness or paralysis in both legs that is severe or getting worse
Numbness around the genitals, anus and buttock region which can also cause urinary or faecal incontinence
Sexual dysfunction

How to claim following an accident leading to CES

If you have suffered an injury due to an accident that was not your fault, then you may be entitled to compensation. Brian Barr Solicitors have helped many people with CES if they have been diagnosed following a traumatic injury such as a road traffic accident or a fall at work, as well as medical accidents (such as misdiagnosis, treatment mistakes, or complications following surgery).

Rare conditions such as Cauda Equina can be challenging – they are often complex diseases that require input and treatment from many different medical teams. At Brian Barr we work closely with medical specialists, from spinal surgeons to neurosurgeons. We appreciate in cases like this that timing is crucial and delays in evaluation and management can have devastating effects.

Brian Barr specialise in assisting claimants throughout England and Wales with complicated personal injury and insurance claims. We have a 97% compensation claims success rate because we specialise in this area and understand how important it is to build a strong case for our clients. Every client is unique and every case is different, but what is the same is our dedication to helping you get the financial results you need in order to move forward. As solicitors, we are known for building strong relationships with our clients and we work hard to ensure our clients receive the compensation they deserve.

We are here to help, and happy to have a chat to evaluate your claim and help you get the ball rolling if you wish to proceed with a claim for compensation.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much compensation can I get for CES?

Your claim is valued on how much you have lost due to negligence. These losses are broken down into:

General damages – compensation for the pain, suffering and loss of amenity that you suffered due to injury itself.
Special damages – compensation for any ‘out-of-pocket’ expenses that you have incurred as a result of the injuries caused by the negligence, such as loss of earnings and care and assistance. Future losses that you are going to face due to the negligence are also compensated for. These include, future loss of earnings, care that you may now need and future expenses that you will incur due to the injuries caused by the negligence.

Most claims are settled through negotiation with the defendant. Brian Barr Solicitors will build a case to prove that you have been left physically and mental injured by the accident or negligent treatment, and the associated pain and suffering as well as financial loss. There are risks to every claim and it is rarely straightforward. Therefore, the compensation you receive will be based on the individual circumstances of your claim.

In cases of Cauda Equina we will generally look for compensation for:

the cost of further medical treatment and associated costs for hospital stays and visits,
the cost of physiotherapy or other rehabilitation to help improve your recovery,
the cost for counselling or other emotional support services,
loss of current and future earnings if you are no longer able to work to the same capacity,
care costs (including if family members are no longer able to work in order to care for you),
home adaptations,
mobility aids and equipment.

This list is not exclusive, and we will seek additional damages for any other expenses that you have incurred as a result of the injury.

Treating and living with CES

Cauda Equina tends to affect adults rather than children and affects males as equally as females.

There are 2 stages to CES:

CESI (Cauda Equina Syndrome – Incomplete) – this is a diagnosis given to patients who may be experiencing loss of sensation and leg weakness in the lower limbs, as well as back and leg pain, bladder issues and partial saddle anaesthesia.
CESR (Cauda Equina Syndrome with Retention) – this is a diagnosis given to patients whose condition has deteriorated to a point where bladder function ceases and the bladder goes into retention, saddle anaesthesia has progressed to total sensory loss and pins and needles become dense numbness.

When a patient has progressed to CESR then the prognosis is not as good.

Once you have been diagnosed with CES, initially it might seem as if your world is falling apart and you cannot see what the future will bring. Medical specialists will advise on your options. The sooner the diagnosis the better and emergency surgery is usually the first route for treatment. CES can lead to paralysis and incontinence on a permanent basis if left untreated. Even with treatment, some patients do not fully recover and will need to come to terms with permanent life changing disabilities.

Any type of chronic pain and fatigue, including Cauda Equina, can affect more than a person’s physical health. Returning to work can be a challenge for a number of reasons, and social occasions can be difficult too. Loss of bladder and bowel control can be extremely distressing and the fatigue and constant pain can lead to mental health problems and difficulties in relationships.

No Win No Fee Cauda Equina Solicitors

Not every case of Cauda Equina Syndrome injury arises from an accident or medical negligence. However if it does, it is important to speak to solicitors who understand this rare condition and its associated challenges, and who have experience helping people get the support and compensation they deserve. Speaking to the right solicitors can be the difference between living with this condition and choosing to move forward with your life, despite what you have been dealt.

If an injury has occurred at work due to an accident you may be referred to your Union for legal advice. Likewise, if you have been involved in a motor accident, then your insurance may recommend a solicitor to speak to. It is vital in cases of Cauda Equina Syndrome that your solicitors are a specialist firm whose expertise is chronic pain and serious injury litigation. If not, then your claim could be misunderstood and undervalued. You can easily change solicitors during the claim and many clients move to Brian Barr when they realise they need a specialist on their side.

We have over 20 years of experience in complex personal injury claims, which has enabled us to develop a dedicated team who are passionate about helping our clients in a caring, understanding and professional manner.

Why might I need to change Solicitors?

We have seen claimants looking to change solicitors for a variety of reasons. In our experience, clients commonly see issues such as:

A need for understanding or expertise – this is common in complex personal injury cases and can be extremely frustrating if your solicitor lacks experience in this specialist area
Your expected settlement is unlikely to cover your long-term care costs and lifestyle changes

Whether you are just starting your claim or are close to settlement, if you’re unhappy with the progress being made on your Cauda Equina claim, you are entitled to transfer your case over to Brian Barr.

We often find that clients move solicitors and come to Brian Barr to help with their claim as their current solicitors are not a specialist firm whose expertise is serious injury litigation. If your solicitors are not experts in this area then your claim could be misunderstood and undervalued.

We regularly have cases transferred to us because of our specialist knowledge in various areas of personal injury law, and we will handle everything for you, so please get in touch and let us help you get the ball rolling and the outcome you require to provide the best quality of life possible.

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