CHILD CLAIMANTS AND LOSS OF EARNINGS CLAIMS: WEBINAR 20th APRIL 2026: NOW WITH GREATLY EXPANDED QUESTIONNAIRE

A post yesterday highlighted both the significance of a claim for loss of earnings for a child claimant, but also the difficulty.  In that case the award for disability in the labour market of £50,000 was higher than the award for pain and suffering of £30,000.     The issues were addressed in the Supreme Court decision earlier this year in CCC (by her mother and litigation friend MMM) (Appellant) v Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Respondent) [2026] UKSC 5.  As a result of that decision the prospective earnings of a child claimant will be important, not only for the claim during the claimant’s lifetime, but also the for the “lost years” claim.

“… it has become common for evidence to be led, as in the Australian and Canadian cases, bearing more directly on the situation of the particular claimant. It may include evidence about the educational achievements, occupations and attitudes of the claimant’s parents and siblings, and evidence about the average earnings of a suitably tailored category of individuals. This approach is not open to the same objection as the approach adopted in Connolly v Camden and Islington Health Authority, where the court was prepared to countenance making awards for the lost years to the sons of businessmen and farmers, on the assumption that they would inherit the position and earnings of their fathers, but not to the claimant son of a plasterer.”

Lord Reed in

 CCC (by her mother and litigation friend MMM) (Appellant) v Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Respondent) [2026] UKSC 5.

THE WEBINAR ON THE 20th APRIL: BOOKING DETAILS AVAILABLE HERE

This webinar explores how courts assess and quantify claims for future loss of earnings where a child has been injured, with a particular focus on “lost years” claims following the landmark decision in CCC v Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

The case confirms that “lost years” claims can be pursued on behalf of very young children and highlights the decisive role of robust, well-structured evidence in establishing likely future earnings. The financial implications are significant: in CCC, the court awarded £823,506 for lost years in addition to £224,000 for lifetime loss of earnings.

The webinar examines:

• The evidential requirements for proving future loss of earnings in young children
• How courts evaluate family earnings patterns and background
• When and how future pension loss may be awarded
• The impact of catastrophic injuries on earning capacity
• The court’s approach to less serious injuries that disadvantage a child in the labour market
• Claims brought in adulthood for injuries sustained in childhood, including sexual abuse claims

Drawing on key cases and applicable guidelines, the session provides a structured, practical framework to ensure that claims are properly pleaded, thoroughly evidenced, and maximised to secure full compensation for child claimants.

As a result of the comments of Lord Reed in CCC I have developed and expanded the questionnaire here to include a much more searching consideration of future employment prospects, including family history, attitude to employment an education and the claimant’s personality generally. As the webinar makes clear all of these are factors the court can properly take into account.