Leigh Day specialist personal injury, human rights and clinical negligence lawyers have successfully represented a number of clients who are seeking justice and, in some cases, compensation after being abused. Many of our clients have suffered sexual abuse, physical abuse, or emotional or mental abuse, resulting in psychiatric injury, trauma, or physical injury. Sometimes our clients have suffered both physical and mental abuse, either as a child or as an adult.
Abuse can occur in many situations. Our specialist abuse claims solicitors have successfully acted for adults, both vulnerable adults with learning difficulties, and elderly people who have been abused whilst resident in NHS hospitals or care homes. We have experience of acting for adults who were abused as children in children’s homes, or in foster homes. Partner Frances Swaine has been involved with the Child Migrant Trust since 1992, and has represented the International Association of Former Child Migrants from the same date. We have also helped people who have been emotionally, physically and sexually abused by health care professionals when being treated for their mental health problems, such as for anorexia, alcoholism, and depression. An award of damages and an apology can go some way to showing our clients that what had happened was wrong and not their fault.
Our abuse claims lawyers act for the learning disabled and the mentally ill who have suffered abuse at the hands of their carers or clinicians. We have also secured compensation for asylum seekers who were illegally deported from this country who suffered abuse at the hands of those deporting them.
Leigh Day and abuse claims
Examples of our abuse claim work include:
- Successfully settling over 120 claims for compensation on behalf of families who were neglected and abused, leading to their early death at Stafford Hospital
- A long association advising the Child Migrant Trust who represent hundreds of British children who were deported from the UK
- Securing compensation on behalf of a vulnerable patient who was sexually abused by her care worker
- Successfully settling a claim for a young footballer who was bullied and abused by his coaches
- Securing a six-figure sum for a mother and her children who were abused by immigration escorts
- Acting for two adults for the neglect and emotional abuse they received when in the care of a Council as children
- Successfully securing a six-figure sum on behalf of an adult with learning disabilities who was sexually abused whilst in residential care
- Successfully settling a number of claims on behalf of adults who were abused and raped whilst in the care of local authorities
- Winning compensation for a child who suffered neglect, abuse and poor care as a child whilst resident in two care homes in SW England
- Successfully securing compensation for a client who has been abused by a social worker
- Obtaining compensation for a client who was sexually abused by a psychiatric nurse whilst receiving in-patient treatment for her eating disorder
Time limits do apply to abuse claims, but you may be able to claim compensation even if the abuse occurred many years ago. For a free initial talk with a member of our team who specialises in abuse claims, please phone us on 020 7650 1200.
Facts and figures
- Over 3,000 British children were shipped to a ‘new life’ abroad in the post-war era
- Many of these children were removed without their parents' knowledge or consent
- Mencap’s Death by Indifference report revealed indiscriminate discrimination in the NHS against people with severe learning difficulties
- Hundreds of elderly patients died unnecessarily at Stafford Hospital because of appalling standards of care
- Panorama revealed widespread abuse towards learning disabled adults at a private hospital, Winterbourne View