Last Updated 15th September 2025. Legal Expert at the UK’s number one resource for people who need to make a personal injury claim. We work with a panel of expert no win no fee solicitors across the country, helping people to claim the compensation they deserve after accidents, injuries, and illnesses which were not their fault. The solicitors we work with have a wealth of experience, helping people to make a personal injury claim in cases such as a sciatic nerve lesion or a clinical medical negligence compensation case.
In this case study, we are looking at the case of an adolescent girl who was awarded a total of £400,000 in compensation for negligent care post-surgery. The medical negligence resulted in damage to the sciatic nerve, requiring long-term nerve lesion treatment. Between the ages of ten and thirteen, the claimant had suffered from Crohn’s disease. At the age of thirteen, she underwent surgery called a ‘colectomy’ to better control her symptoms.
Legal Expert has helped people who have suffered from similar sciatic nerve injuries and in cases of medical negligence. You can learn more about this case study and the types of injuries sustained by reading the details of the case below.
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What Caused The Sciatic Nerve Lesion?
The claimant had had surgery for a separate and unrelated condition. After returning from surgery to the ward, she was left lying on her left side. Patients who have had the type of surgery she had should be moved periodically to prevent bed-related injuries. The patient was left lying on the same side for around sixteen hours. This medical negligence caused the sciatic nerve injury. When the claimant regained consciousness, she tried to move about but found that her left leg was weak, numb and that she had difficulty walking on it.
Over several months, the claimant underwent a number of sciatic nerve injury treatments and investigations. These included studies looking at the muscles and nerves in her leg, as well as an MRI scan to get a better internal picture. The sciatic nerve injury treatment revealed a sciatic lesion which interrupted the nerves to the leg muscles and skin.
Consequences Of The Sciatic Nerve Lesion
The sciatic nerve lesion symptoms were both serious and permanent. Despite nerve lesion treatment, the claimant was left with lasting discomfort and pain in her left leg. There was also a permanently altered sensation in the outer side of the affected foot. One of the most noticeable sciatic nerve lesion symptoms she was left with was a foot drop, leaving her unable to lift her foot off the ground properly. The growth of the foot was somewhat stunted, resulting in it being two sizes smaller than the unaffected foot. At the time of the claim, the claimant was only able to walk for a few minutes at a time and could not participate in physical activities. She also found it difficult to navigate stairs.
As the claimant was an adolescent, the sciatic nerve lesion symptoms affected her social development and left her feeling self-conscious about her new disability. The claimant became somewhat socially withdrawn and more isolated after the injury. The claimant also missed two years of education at school and college. Overall, she was left with an adjustment disorder.
The Sciatic Nerve Lesion Injury Claim And Settlement Award
Solicitors for the claimant alleged that the sciatic nerve damage was caused by medical negligence on the part of the nursing staff. In the allegation, they showed that the sciatic nerve damage was due to what is called a pressure palsy of the sciatic nerve. This happened as the claimant was left in the same position in bed for sixteen hours. Nursing staff should have changed her position during this time, and it was alleged that it was negligent not to have done so. The defendant denied the allegation and countered that the sciatic nerve injury symptoms were connected to the medication the claimant was prescribed.
After negotiation between solicitors for the defendant and claimant, the settlement for the sciatic nerve injury was eventually settled at £400,000. The claimant used the money to help live a more independent life and to cope with her sciatic nerve lesion injury.
How Was The Settlement Calculated?
A lot of people wonder how sciatic nerve settlements are actually calculated, especially in more complex cases like these. A lot of cases use the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) as a jumping off point, as the JCG contains a list of guideline figures for a number of different injuries and illnesses, including some entries for nerve damage. But these figures are never guaranteed, and they only serve as a point of reference.
The reality is that a number of distinguishing factors are considered when professionals value potential sciatic nerve damage compensation, and each payout is calculated on a case-by-case basis.
In this case, the claimant’s settlement was reached by considering:
- How severely she was harmed
- The projected recovery time
- How her injuries had affected her daily and social life
- The financial losses she was projected to suffer after she turned eighteen
- The financial losses her guardians had suffered as a result of her injuries
Since the claimant was so young when she was harmed, her payout took the rest of her working life into consideration, not just the immediate effects. For example, it was adjusted to consider the effect that the injury would have on her ability to:
- Work and earn
- Live independently
- Socialise
Her payout took into account the lifelong cost of mobility aids like crutches and home adjustments like a stairlift. It also took into account the lifelong cost of prescriptions and the potential need for a carer or additional support work.
Keep reading to find out how our solicitors could help you make a claim for sciatic nerve damage compensation, or contact us today to learn more.
What Is The Time Limit For Making a Sciatic Nerve Damage Claim?
The time limit for making a sciatic nerve damage claim is 3 years from the date the clinical negligence took place or from the date of knowledge (the date you first realised the harm you suffered was caused by negligent medical care), as per the Limitation Act 1980. This is known as the limitation period, and it’s crucial that you start your sciatic nerve compensation claim within this time window.
However, the act does acknowledge specific exemptions to the above limitation period, and we’ve provided those exemptions below:
- A vulnerable adult who lacks the mental capacity to file a sciatic nerve damage compensation claim on their own. They will only be able to start a claim independently if they regain their cognitive capacity, meaning that the 3-year timer will begin on the date of their recovery
- A minor who is too young to file their own sciatic nerve compensation claim. They can claim on their own between their 18th and 21st birthday
Another way for the above individuals to secure sciatic nerve compensation is via a litigation friend. This is a legally appointed role that allows someone close to the protected person, such as a family member, to claim on their behalf. Specifically, the litigation friend will be responsible for the decision-making, representation and communication during the medical negligence claims process. The important thing to bear in mind is that the litigation friend can claim on the protected party’s behalf while the time limit is paused.
If you want to fulfil the role of a litigation friend for a loved one, please call us for free today so we can talk you through the next steps.
No Win No Fee Medical Negligence Claims
If you have a valid sciatic nerve lesion claim, you may be able to work with one of our No Win No Fee solicitors. Our team offer a kind of No Win No Fee arrangement known as a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), which allows you to access their services without paying any upfront or ongoing fees.
Under this kind of agreement, you only pay a fee for your solicitor’s work if your claim succeeds. This success fee is taken directly from your compensation as a small, legally capped percentage. However, if your claim succeeds, then you do not pay a fee to your solicitor for their work.
To learn more about claiming for a sciatic nerve injury with the help of one of our personal injury compensation solicitors, contact our team of advisors today.
How Legal Expert Can Help You
Legal Expert works with experienced personal injury solicitors from across the country, helping people who have suffered injuries such as a sciatic nerve injury, as well as in cases of medical negligence. If you, a friend or a loved one has suffered an injury as a result of medical negligence, contact the specialist team at Legal Expert to find out how we can help claim the damages you or they are owed.
You can contact us about your case by using our online chat facility. Our dedicated staff are also on hand seven days a week to take your calls on 0800 073 8804.
Useful Links
- Nerve Damage Compensation Claims
Nerve damage can result in complex and complicated injuries. Find out how to make a successful compensation claim with our guide to nerve damage and injury compensation claims. - Read our surgical negligence claims to learn more about claiming for medical negligence.
- Visit our guide to learn more about rotavirus compensation claims and get more information on compensation for harm suffered due to medical negligence.
