Behind each medical negligence case there is often a long-lasting impact on the client and their family.
Patients are right to expect a reasonable standard of treatment and when things go wrong it can be extremely traumatic and difficult to come to terms with.
I am passionate about helping people challenge poor medical care and ensuring that lessons are learnt when serious mistakes are made.
Get to Know Helena
Helena has specialised in clinical negligence claims since 2008 and has successfully represented clients who have experienced birth injuries, amputation, brain injury and fatal negligence claims.
Helena is a chartered legal executive and team leader in the clinical negligence practice and also has a strong focus on surgical errors, delayed cancer diagnosis and obstetric and gynaecological cases.
Ranked in the Legal 500 Guide, clients seek out Helena’s expertise and advice when considering taking legal action against NHS Trusts as she has significant experience in holding them to account and identifying failings.
The guide states: “Helena has all the key characteristics of a great claimant lawyer: she is highly dedicated to her clients, she is personable and patient with them, she works hard, and she is realistic about her cases.
Career Highlights
I’ve obtained significant damages for children who have lost a parent or clients that have lost a spouse due clinical negligence, often due to delay in diagnosis of cancer or surgical negligence. The awards can be substantial because they take into account future loss of earnings.
“Recently I secured a six-figure damages settlement for my client after errors meant a blood clot on his lungs was missed on scans, causing a 12-month delay in diagnosis. The health Trust accepted liability but initially offered a £10,000 settlement. The claim settled for more than ten times that amount after I secured independent expert medical opinion.
“In another case damages of £80,000 were secured for a 50-year-old mother who was left worse off following knee replacement surgery. We alleged she would not have agreed had she been fully informed of the risks.
“I was also successful in securing a £65,000 damages settlement for a 61-year-old woman whose brain tumour was missed, despite undergoing scans. In an out of court settlement the Trust admitted breach of duty.
Recognition
Legal 500: “Rising Star – Clinical Negligence”
Chambers and Partners 2023: “She is very approachable, dedicated to clients, and has a good team approach with counsel.”
Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX)
She is very approachable, dedicated to clients, and has a good team approach with counsel. – Chambers and Partners 2023
Helena Wood has all the key characteristics of a great claimant lawyer: she is highly dedicated to her clients, she is personable and patient with them, she works hard, and she is realistic about her cases. – Legal 500 2023
Giving More
I volunteer at a local charity, HER Breast Friends, which supports those with breast cancer and I recently took part in a 10k run across the Humber Bridge.
