When people have suffered life-changing injuries they are often left in a vulnerable position. I am proud to work with my clients and their families in order to obtain compensation reflecting their experience, to access support at the earliest possible opportunity and to help put adaptations in place to maintain or restore their quality of life.
Get to Know Matthew
Matthew is a medical negligence solicitor who qualified in 2013. He worked in the clinical negligence departments at high-profile firms in London, Hampshire and Yorkshire, before joining Hudgells in 2022.
Matthew’s work focuses on clients who have suffered severe and serious injuries throughout all areas of clinical negligence, leaving them with complex needs. He has particular interest in cases involving acquired brain injuries due to medical accidents, delays in diagnosis of cancer, and surgical errors.
Matthew understands the impact of severe injury and the potential benefits of early intervention, which allow the injured person the best chance at recovery and rehabilitation. As a result, he focuses on effective and detailed investigation of the issues in the claim with the aim of obtaining, where possible, early funding for support, assistance and therapies required by his clients.
Matthew is aware that his clients and their families often want accountability and answers as to what went wrong, in addition to the compensation they deserve. He recognises that both aims are equally important to his clients, as these answers will often explain not only what happened to them but also the measures put in place to stop other people suffering in the same way.
Career Highlights
I obtained damages of more than £2million for a client in his 50s who suffered dislocation of both his shoulders during a seizure. These dislocations were not identified at the time, or for approximately three months’ after they occurred.
As a result, my client’s treatment was extremely complicated, requiring numerous operations on both shoulders to replace the joints with prostheses.
His outcome was extremely poor; he was unable to continue working in any capacity, complete housework or jobs around his home, drive or use public transport, or to socialise in the way he had previously. He was reliant on his wife to help maintain his personal hygiene, including bathing, dressing and using the bathroom. The settlement included compensation for his loss of earnings and allowed a care package to be set up that restored his independence and reduced his reliance on his wife.
The client requires immediate rehabilitation including input from various specialists, including Neuropsychologists, Physiotherapists, care workers and Occupational Therapists, to maximise his chances of recovery. I have secured an interim payment from the NHS Trust involved in his care that will pay for this rehabilitation in full while the claim is ongoing.
I have also secured damages of £200,000 for a client who suffered a cardiac arrest but was not accepted into his local hospital for immediate treatment. Instead, my client had to be transferred to a hospital some distance away and the delay in his treatment meant it was not as effective. He developed severe heart failure that has limited his independence and ability to live his life the way that he wished.
In a case where a GP wrongly recorded a patient’s blood tests as showing ‘no abnormality’, when in fact they indicated he was suffering from a serious kidney condition, resulted in me securing £100,00 damages for my client. My client had to wait seven years before he was correctly diagnosed, by which time he was told he would need a transplant.
Recognition
Member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, with accredited status as a Senior Litigator.
Giving More
I fundraise for a local charity, Cavendish Cancer Care, which provide therapies, support and advice to those living with cancer, an important cause and one close to my heart. I’ve also volunteered with HER Breast Friends, a Hull based breast cancer charity, supported by Hudgells.
