At Aspire Law, we deeply understand how life-changing an injury like cauda equina syndrome can be. That’s why we take the utmost care to ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve, ensuring that you and your family can continue your lives as if nothing has changed.

What is Cauda Equina Syndrome?
Cauda Equina Syndrome, or CES, is an incredibly serious issue, as it is a severe kind of spinal stenosis. This syndrome typically results from neurological damage to a group of nerve roots at the base of the spinal cord, specifically from a severe herniated disc, spinal tumour, abscess, or lumbar spinal stenosis, as well as an injury resulting from a high impac
When a person has Cauda Equina Syndrome, all of the nerves in their lower back all of a sudden become severely compressed.
Thankfully, CES is exceptionally rare. One to three in every 100,000 people have Cauda Equina Syndrome, with up to 2% of people with herniated lumbar discs developing the condition.
You might notice some of the following, according to the NHS:
● Sciatica on both sides
● Weakness or numbness in both legs that is severe or getting worse
● Numbness around or under your genitals, or around your anus
● Finding it hard to pee. This might be not being able to pee at all or not being able to control when you pee. This is only a concern if it isn’t normal for you
● You don’t notice when you need to poo or can’t control when you poo – and this isn’t normal for you
If you believe you have cauda equina syndrome, you will need emergency hospital admission and may require emergency surgery. The longer that Cauda Equina Syndrome goes untreated, the greater the chance it will lead to permanent paralysis and incontinence.
Medical negligence in Cauda Equina diagnosis
Cauda Equina Syndrome is considered a medical emergency and urgent treatment is needed to prevent long-term complications. If there are delays in treatment or a failure to recognise symptoms, this can lead to severe and lasting neurological and physical damage.
The impacts of undiagnosed Cauda Equina Syndrome are profound and can deeply affect people with the condition.
If there has been a delay in diagnosing or treating CES you may be left with long-term injuries associated with CES that accompany a reduction in mobility. These life-altering injuries include:
- Weakness, numbness, or pain in one or both legs
- Severe lower back pain
- Bladder and bowel dysfunction
- Loss of sexual functions
In addition, many individuals with CES are often discharged from district hospitals without proper guidance or information about how their spinal cord injury will impact their lives.
The condition can be life-changing, leaving those affected unable to work, suffering from chronic pain, and requiring significant adaptations to preserve their independence. The emotional and mental toll is deep and can be incredibly overwhelming.
If you believe health professionals failed to diagnose and treat your condition before irreparable damage occurred, then you may be able to claim compensation.
Why choose Aspire Law for your claim?
With Aspire Law, you will have a dedicated, specialist Spinal Cord Injury solicitor at your side within days, whether in the hospital or at home. From this point, your solicitor will look after you, your claim and any other issues you may face, including concerns over housing, care and support, as well as specific equipment or aids.

Our offering as a specialist spinal cord injury law firm is truly unique:
● At Aspire Law, we are the only UK law firm dealing exclusively with spinal cord injury claims, meaning we can provide each one of our clients with the tailored expertise they need.
● We are a unique joint venture law firm which has been established by the charity Aspire and law firm Moore Barlow LLP, which together combine their specialist knowledge and expertise on spinal cord injuries.
● We also share 50% of our profits with Aspire to support more and more people with spinal cord injuries, meaning we can even help those who can’t claim compensation.
● Additionally, at Aspire Law, we always put our clients first. We won’t deduct a fee for a successful compensation claim, meaning that you can keep as much of your compensation as possible.
Your care and compensation are in the best hands possible with Aspire Law. Get the compensation you deserve and more by getting in touch with us today.
Meet our team of Cauda Equina solicitors
Our team of specialist spinal cord injury solicitors at Aspire Law can help you through the process.
For many CES sufferers, permanent physical disabilities and emotional trauma could have been avoided with prompt, professional diagnosis and treatment.
Our specialist spinal cord injury team is composed in part of people directly affected by spinal cord injuries themselves, and lawyers who are dual qualified as medics. Together our specialist team understands the mental and physical trauma you’re going through. We will guide you with a mixture of empathy and determination to establish whether you have a compensation claim, and if so, see you get the financial support you need.
To discover more about making a Cauda Equina negligence claim, call us today on 0800 030 20 40 or contact us online and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
Spinal cord injury compensation case studies by Aspire Law
Background
In 2018, our client suffered from sudden severe back pain and experienced altered sensations in both lower limbs. On arrival at the emergency department, a junior doctor conducted an assessment which noted that our client displayed several symptoms indicative of Cauda Equina.
These included: saddle anaesthesia, loss of sensation while passing urine, diminished power and sensation in the left leg and reduced perianal sensation. Despite the junior doctor’s request for an emergency MRI of the lumbar spine, the Radiologist downgraded this referral. Instead, she suggested an urgent outpatient MRI to be conducted within one week. The junior doctor questioned this downgrading, and an X-ray of the lumbar spine was performed instead and undertaken on the same day.
Following the X-ray, the Emergency Physician also sought an immediate MRI, however, the Radiologist did not agree that it was a matter of urgency. An orthopaedic review also advocated for an immediate MRI, but the Radiologist maintained that our client’s symptoms did not convincingly indicate Cauda Equina compression, nor merit a same-day MRI. Our client was consequently discharged and scheduled for an urgent outpatient MRI the next day.
Unfortunately, our client’s symptoms worsened rapidly at home, to the extent that she was in unbearable pain and unable to walk down the stairs. Returning to the emergency department, an MRI of the lumbar spine was conducted, identifying an L4-5 disc protrusion causing severe canal narrowing and compression of Cauda Equina nerve roots. Our client underwent neurosurgery later that day.
Due to the delay in diagnosing Cauda Equina, our client was left with an ASIA D spinal cord injury. Our client had weakness in her lower limbs, which would give way when walking, thereby limiting her mobility. In addition, she continued to experience altered sensation in the saddle area and neuropathic pain.
A serious incident report confirmed that the Radiologist should not have overruled the doctor’s request for an MRI given the presenting symptoms, and had the MRI been performed earlier, our client would have had surgery at an earlier point in time.
Our Support
Our client instructed spinal injury specialist solicitor, Raquel Siganporia, to pursue her claim. We instructed top medico-legal experts to review her medical records and provide reports on breach of duty, causation and quantum.
We pursued our client’s claim against the hospital on the basis that they failed to adequately consider the request for our client to undergo an immediate MRI from multiple healthcare staff, and diagnose her Cauda Equina. Breach of duty was not disputed by the Defendants, as the Hospital admitted that they failed to perform a neurological examination when our client attended her appointment.
As a result of the failure to exercise all reasonable care, skill and judgment, our client’s Cauda Equina symptoms were not diagnosed for over 22 hours, in which time her neurology significantly deteriorated. This delay caused permanent and irreparable damage. Therefore, any opportunity to fully reverse the damage early on was missed. Although the defendant accepted that they had breached their duty of care to our client, they disputed how much damage had been caused to her during the delayed period. The defendant maintained that the delay was minor and our client would have had a similar outcome in any event.
We therefore undertook a forensic examination of the records and investigations with our experts to show the injury caused by the defendant was worth more than £15,000.00. We used our specialist knowledge to show that someone with an incomplete spinal cord injury can be impacted in many ways which affect their ability to carry out day-to-day activities safely.
Outcome
Raquel Siganporia was assisted by Amanda Brown of Aspire Law. Raquel instructed Leading Counsel, Eliot Woolf KC of Outer Temple Chambers.
Following the defendant’s strong adherence to their initial offer of £15,000.00, we attended two joint settlement meetings with our client. At Aspire Law, our expertise lies in our understanding of the complexities behind liability and causation regarding spinal cord injury cases, particularly in recognising that Cauda Equina cases are frequently undervalued.
Our commitment to perseverance is crucial in achieving a settlement that reflects the severity of our client’s incomplete spinal cord injury. Our specialised knowledge, experience, and strong relationships with prominent barristers, led us to strive for the most favourable outcomes. Overall, Raquel and Eliot successfully negotiated a settlement of £480,000.00 for our client.
Comments from our client following the settlement:
‘Dear the most incredible team… I am writing to express my most sincere thanks for the most professional representation. Thank you for all of your support over the years. It has been so invaluable. I admire your dedication to my case and for settling today.’
How can Cauda Equina Syndrome lawyers help with my claim?
Compensation aims to help people with Cauda Equina Syndrome adjust to their new circumstances and lead a fulfilling life. Compensation with Aspire Law can provide financial support in rebuilding lives and helping you to fund customisations, including:
- Rehabilitation
- Housing
- Transport
- Care support
- Aids and equipment
- Re-education and training
- Therapeutic services
- Case management
Rehabilitation and other life adaptations are vital in helping you manage and improve your physical and emotional well-being in the months and years to come. The extent of your disability and the effect it has had on your life will play a decisive role in the size of the settlement you may be awarded.
How to start a Cauda Equina Syndrome claim?
At Aspire Law, we are experts with Spinal Cord Injury compensation claims.
We know that money doesn’t change what happened. However, it can definitely ease the process of working through cauda equina syndrome, helping to fund valuable recovery and a more secure future for you and your family.
Was your spinal cord injury as a direct result of a breach of duty or medical negligence? If your injury was caused by an accident that wasn’t your fault or was even partly your fault (known as contributory negligence) you will be entitled to claim compensation. If the accident was partly your fault, you will be able to claim less, however, you will still be able to receive compensation.
Make sure you get in touch with our specialist spinal cord injury lawyers today and get started on receiving the compensation you deserve.
What to expect during the claims process?
At Aspire Law, we deeply care about how this injury can affect you and your family. That’s why we see the primary purpose of claiming to be to secure a sum of money that will enable you to enjoy the same standard of living as you did before your injury.
Often, you can expect spinal cord injury compensation claims to take several years to conclude. Consulting with medical experts and other key witnesses on crucial elements of your claim can take time, ensuring that we obtain the best evidence possible for your claim.
However, we work very hard to get the maximum level of compensation in the shortest period possible.
To give you an idea of the type of process that we would undertake on your behalf, we have outlined and described some of the key stages of a typical spinal cord injury claim.
- Getting to know you: we get to know you and your family, building up a comprehensive picture of what happened in the lead-up to your injury. At this stage, we will evaluate your claim and advise you on whether it’s a good case for compensation.
- Independent assessment: in most cases, we will ask an independent rehabilitation expert to meet with you, who will conduct a full assessment to build an accurate view of your immediate and long-term care, support and rehabilitation needs.
- Medical assessment: we need to understand the exact nature of your injury and how it affects your everyday life. Spinal cord injury consultants will find quality evidence that is crucial not only for your future care but also for your compensation claim.
- Establishing liability: we need to be able to prove that the accident you experienced wasn’t your fault. This part of the process can take some time, while we gather evidence and resources to build a strong case for your compensation claim.
- Calculating your damages: there are many things that your compensation will go towards, including your pain, loss of earnings and your care and rehabilitation, to name just a few. We need to learn more about you and your family to pinpoint how much you deserve.
- Meeting with a barrister: we regularly work with several barristers who specialise in spinal cord injury claims. These meetings will be attended by you, your Aspire Law legal team and the medical experts who are familiar with the specifics of your injury.
- Making a claim: our job in representing you is to maximise the level of compensation you can recover through our specialised legal expertise and experience.
Required documentation for your claim
To claim Cauda Equina Syndrome compensation, it must be proven that your injury was the result of negligence. If you were not treated promptly or there was a delay in diagnosis, and this caused you to have a worse outcome, this may be negligent and give rise to a claim.
We will need to acquire the appropriate evidence to support your claim, which we will gather throughout the process, once we have gained a better understanding of your injury and circumstances.
Compensation for Cauda Equina Syndrome
As a general rule, you have three years from the date of your accident, or from the date from which you realised the injuries you had sustained, to make a compensation claim. This differs when applying the guidelines to children under the age of 18.
We advise getting in contact with a specialist law firm, like Aspire Law, as soon as possible after you have experienced your accident. We recommend doing this as it will enable us to collect valuable evidence to support your claim, such as CCTV footage and witness statements. Especially about witness statements, it’s important that we can gather these as quickly as possible so that any supporting information can be more easily remembered.
The quicker we can gather this evidence, the stronger your claim will be. We need to be able to prove that the defendant was to blame for your accident to make a successful compensation claim, and so time is of the essence.
Understanding compensation amounts
Understanding the amount of compensation you may receive can be a complicated process. We’re here to break it down for you.
Whilst these compensation sums vary dramatically and are completely tailored to you and your circumstances, some key elements of your compensation claim will remain consistent.
There are two main elements of your compensation claim, including compensation for your pain, suffering and loss of quality of life, as well as for any financial loss. This financial loss encompasses any income you may have lost as a result of your injury, in addition to the future losses calculated to the date of retirement. Your compensation sum may also include money towards assistive technology, exoskeletons, adaptive vehicles, adaptations to your home or a new property, and out-of-pocket expenses incurred by your family and friends.
Cauda Equina compensation payouts
Cauda equina compensation payouts can vary depending on your circumstances. You can expect to receive these payments either in a lump sum or spread throughout a number of years, index linked to inflation.
Factors affecting your compensation
Often, a spinal cord injury means that the individual can no longer work in the same way they did before experiencing their injury, if at all. Financial instability is just one of the many factors that can affect people with spinal cord injuries, risking their ability to fund unforeseeable adaptations for their homes and other expensive fees. You should be able to rest easy knowing that you and your family are taken care of. Compensation claims can cover these fees to ensure that you can continue to live as comfortably as possible.
There are also many other ways in which we can help to reduce some of your immediate financial concerns, including support through insurance checks, help with your creditors, interim payments, welfare benefits and help with your employer. During this time, financial commitments such as paying your mortgage and other household bills can cause stress and anxiety, especially when a spinal cord injury can affect so much of your life.
As a specialist spinal cord injury law firm, we will always provide you with quality advice about all of your options and give you our expert opinions on the best choice for you.
There have been many stories, including ones we have documented, where there has been a failure to diagnose Cauda Equina, and as a result, negligent surgery was involved. In this specific case, whilst in recovery, the patient sustained a spinal infarct and when he awoke, he was paralysed from the chest downward.
Had Cauda Equina been properly diagnosed in the patient and undergone the appropriate treatment, his condition might have been improved. In the specific case of this individual, he managed to file a compensation claim with Aspire Law and received several million pounds and an additional annual periodical payment.
The short answer is that the amount you can receive for your compensation claim varies dramatically. The amount of compensation you may receive is determined by the severity of the damage your body has undergone, and where in your body the condition has been affected, alongside your financial situation and other circumstances.
Every case that we deal with at Aspire Law is unique, so it can be difficult to describe a typical claim process. Cases can also vary considerably in the length of time they take to complete, and this often depends on how vigorously a case is defended.
We know that the legal process can look daunting and confusing, so we always keep in regular contact with you to let you know what is happening with your case.
Delays in diagnoses can cause permanent and irreparable damage in patients with cauda equina syndrome, meaning that the rest of their lives are completely changed. This is even more reason to begin a claim with Aspire Law. Although we can’t change the chain of events that has gotten you to this point, we can try our best to get the right compensation for you, enabling an influx of support, both emotional and financial, for you and your family.
Our commitment to perseverance is crucial in achieving a settlement that reflects the severity of our client’s experiences with cauda equina syndrome. With our specialised knowledge, experience, and strong relationships with prominent barristers, we continue to strive for the most favourable outcomes for everyone involved.
Cauda Equina Syndrome, especially if left untreated, can lead to a complete spinal cord injury. There is no known cure for spinal cord injury. But with a programme of rehabilitation, people with CES and resulting spinal cord injury can prevent further complications, maximise their function and gain the skills to live well with SCI.