In the first birth defects compensation claim since the Thalidomide scandal in the 1970’s, residents in the Northamptonshire town of Corby have taken the town council to court for it’s role in cleaning up toxic substances from the former steelworks. 18 young people and their families have gone to court in London seeking millions of pounds in compensation from the council, which they say was negligent in the redevelopment of the steelworks site, exposing the claimants’ mothers to toxic substances which they say led to their developing birth deformities.
The young people at the centre of the legal action are aged between 9 and 21, and all have serious disabilities including missing or undeveloped fingers and toes, deformities of their feet, heart defects, eye problems and skin conditions. In addition to the physical disfigurements, many of the young people also have severe learning difficulties. They allege that these deformities were caused in the womb when their mothers were exposed to toxic substances from the Corby steelworks. The steelworks, formerly employing 10,000 local people, was one of the largest industrial complexes in Western Europe. It closed its blast furnaces and coke ovens in 1980 and over the next 17 years the area was redeveloped, a process that involved the demolition of all the buildings on the site and the removal of hazardous waste and slag to a quarry nearby, where it was buried underground.
The claim is strongly denied by the local council, who argue that there is no evidence of a cluster of birth defects in the Corby, and that rates of deformities are at normal levels for the population. The trial is expected to take around 10 weeks at court in London.
Camps Solicitors first read about this high value compensation claim on the Times website earlier this week. As a firm of solicitors dealing with thousands of personal injury claims every year, we will be closely following the trial of Corby Town Council, as the judgement is likely to have a profound impact on personal injury claims for birth defects. In particular we will look at the levels of compensation awarded, and how these reflect both the physical and mental challenges those with birth defects face, but also how any costs for future care are assessed by the courts. Due to the age of the claimants, any claims for lifelong care are likely to be for substantial sums, as some of those affected will be expected to live for another 60-70 years.
If you have been injured in any accident that was not your fault, and where someone else’s negligence was to blame, then a call to Camps Solicitors may help you claim compensation.
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