Claudia Hillemand

Practice Areas

Claudia is head of the specialist Child Brain Injury team at Bolt Burdon Kemp. She acts exclusively for children who have sustained a brain injury as a result of medical errors or accidents.

She has experience of severe and complex claims involving children with cerebral palsy who have sustained brain injuries at birth, as well as children who have suffered from conditions including stroke, meningitis, encephalitis and cerebral abscesses.

She has a particular interest in cases relating to birth injury. Claudia has settled a number of cases involving severe brain injury. Recent examples include:

- Claudia worked with Caroline Klage, Partner to achieve one of the largest ever clinical negligence settlements for a long-running birth injury claim for a capital equivalent of just under £33.2 million.

- Successfully acting for a child who suffered a catastrophic brain injury as a result of a hospital’s failure to treat their mother’s GBS infection. Their case settled for £8 million, which will provide for their lifelong needs which include 24 hour nursing care, accommodation, equipment and therapy.

- Acting in a claim involving the birth of a premature twin who went on to suffer a bleed on the brain (intraventricular haemorrhage) because medical staff did not give their mother steroids whilst pregnant. Steroids would have strengthened our client’s lungs and also helped protect against a bleed on the brain. The settlement is worth approximately £6 million and will ensure that the child’s lifelong care needs are met. These include care, accommodation, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and equipment.

In addition to her expertise in cases involving negligence, Claudia is an IPSEA-qualified special educational needs advisor and represents children and young people with Special Educational Needs arising from or connected to brain injuries.

Claudia has been appointed to the Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA) specialist solicitor legal panel.

Claudia is of dual nationality (Irish-French) and speaks fluent French. Claudia trained as a barrister and cross-qualified as a solicitor. She holds a Masters degree in International Human Rights Law from the University of Nottingham.