Who we support and how we can help
We are a specialist team of medical negligence solicitors with deep, longstanding experience supporting families affected by complications during pregnancy, labour, and neonatal care. Our team is led by highly respected practitioners including Janice Gardner, a partner with more than 30 years’ experience in complex clinical negligence and birth injury claims, and Bernadette McGhie, a clinical negligence consultant whose earlier career as a general and paediatric nurse profoundly informs her legal practice and the compassionate way she supports families. Their combined expertise ensures that families receive both exceptional legal guidance and deeply informed, empathetic support at every stage of their journey.
We work with families whose babies have suffered preventable injury, such as hypoxic events, brain injury including cerebral palsy, delayed diagnosis or treatment in neonatal units, and other complications arising in the perinatal period. We also have substantial expertise supporting mothers who have experienced avoidable maternal injury or poor care during childbirth. Our team brings together not only technical legal skill, but also a deep understanding of trauma‑informed practice and the emotional complexities faced by families in the neonatal context.
Our medical negligence expertise
Our solicitors carry out highly detailed and rigorous investigations, instructing leading independent medical experts to help determine what went wrong and why. We ensure families are supported throughout NHS complaints processes, internal hospital investigations, and wider reviews. Where compensation is appropriate, we work diligently to secure funds that can transform a child’s life, covering specialist therapies, equipment, adapted housing, education support, care packages and future planning. For mothers, we strive to ensure they receive the support they need for recovery, rehabilitation, and long‑term wellbeing.
As a firm, Russell‑Cooke is committed to promoting access to justice. Many of our claims can be supported through conditional fee agreements (“no win, no fee”), enabling families to explore their options without financial risk. Our lawyers also contribute to community and pro bono initiatives aimed at helping people who may otherwise face barriers to legal support, reflecting our belief that everyone deserves fair access to advice, advocacy and resolution.
Families often come to us during one of the most difficult periods of their lives. Our team is known for being approachable and empathetic, offering practical support and specialist guidance in a way that enables families to make informed choices about their future. Whether you are concerned about the care you or your baby received, navigating complex medical processes, or seeking clarity after a traumatic experience, we are here to listen, support, and guide.
