- Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX)
- Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives
Helena Wood > Hudgell Solicitors > Hull, England > Lawyer Profile
Hudgell Solicitors Offices
NUMBER 2 @ THE DOCK
46 HUMBER STREET
HULL
HU1 1TU
England
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Helena Wood
Work Department
Clinical Negligence
Position
Associate (Clinical Negligence)
Career
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. 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.Career Highlights
Memberships
Education
• Commenced study with CILEX Law School in 2004 whilst working full time at a solicitors.
• Completed CILEX studies in 2010.
• Fully qualified as a lawyer since 2012.
Lawyer Rankings
Yorkshire and the Humber > Insurance > Clinical negligence: claimant
(Rising stars)Operating from Hull, Hudgell Solicitors works across the full range of claim values, with capabilities in both complex, high-value litigation and an established track record in managing a high volume of smaller claims. Early rehabilitation and interim payments are key strengths of the team. Chris Moore and Vince Shore jointly head up the practice, and focus on brain injury at birth and surgical errors, respectively. The large team has a depth of experience in the field, such as Helena Wood bringing expertise in delayed diagnosis and misdiagnosis, and Elizabeth Maliakal working on mistreatment of strokes.