This is a guide on how much compensation for pressure sores you could potentially receive if you make a successful medical negligence claim. Within this guide, we will discuss the eligibility criteria that you must meet to have a valid clinical negligence claim, and how compensation is calculated and awarded to address the different ways the pressure sores have impacted your quality of life.
How Much Compensation For Pressure Sores – Medical Negligence Claims Guide
This guide will also share examples of how you could develop a pressure sore and the types of evidence that could be used to support a medical negligence claim. Furthermore, we will explore some of the benefits of claiming compensation with the help of one of our No Win No Fee solicitors.
If you would like to discuss your specific case and receive free advice, you can contact our friendly advisory team by:
- Calling 0800 073 8801
- Contacting us through our website.
- Using the pop-up chat window in the corner.
Select A Section
- How Much Compensation For Pressure Sores Could I Be Entitled To Claim?
- Am I Eligible To Seek Medical Negligence Compensation For Pressure Sores?
- What Could Cause Pressure Sores?
- How Do You Prove Pressure Sores Were Caused By Medical Negligence?
- Claim Compensation For Pressures Sores With A No Win No Fee Solicitor
- Further Information On Clinical Negligence Claims
How Much Compensation For Pressure Sores Could I Be Entitled To Claim?
You may be wondering, ‘How much compensation for pressure sores could I receive if I make a successful medical negligence claim?’. Since every case is unique, compensation is awarded on a case-by-case basis. Therefore, it may be more beneficial to you to learn how compensation is calculated in medical negligence claims.
If you make a successful claim, the avoidable harm you experienced due to a medical professional breaching their duty of care will be compensated under general damages.
Those working on valuing your case may look to the most recent edition of the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) to help them when calculating the value of general damages, published in April 2022. This document contains a list of guideline award brackets for different forms of harm.
Compensation Guidelines
We have included some of these guidelines from the Judicial College in the table below. However, please only use the amounts in the table as a guide because settlements will vary.
| Harm Type | Severity | Amount – Guideline Brackets | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amputation of Arms | Loss of both arms | £240,790 to £300,000 | Both arms have been amputated and this has reduced the claimant to a considerable state of helplessness. |
| Loss of one arm (iii) | £96,160 to £109,650 | Below-elbow amputation of one arm through the forearm. | |
| Leg | Amputation (i) | £240,790 to £282,010 | Both legs have been amputated above the knee, or one above and the other below the knee. |
| Amputation (iii) | £104,830 to £137,470 | One leg has been amputated above the knee. Factors such as phantom pains will affect the amount awarded. | |
| Brain Damage | Moderately severe | £219,070 to £282,010 | The person will suffer with a serious disability and will require constant care from a professional. |
| Moderate (i) | £150,110 to £219,070 | No prospect of employment due to a moderate to severe intellectual deficit and a significant risk of epilepsy. | |
| Kidney | Serious and permanent | £169,400 to £210,400 | The complete loss of or permanent and serious damage to both kidneys. |
| Loss | £30,770 to £44,880 | One kidney suffers no harm while the other is completely lost. |
Are Special Damages Awarded In Medical Negligence Claims?
If the avoidable harm you have suffered due to a medical professional breaching their duty of care has caused you to experience financial losses, these could be compensated as part of your payout under special damages. Some examples may include:
- Medical costs.
- Travel costs.
- Care costs.
To be able to receive special damages, you will need to present proof of these losses. Evidence could include invoices, bank statements and receipts.
Get in touch today to find out how much compensation for pressure sores you could be owed following a successful claim.
Am I Eligible To Seek Medical Negligence Compensation For Pressure Sores?
All medical professionals responsible for treating you owe you a duty of care. This means that the level of care with which you’re provided must reach the correct standard. If a medical professional were to breach this duty of care, and this caused you to suffer avoidable harm, this could constitute medical negligence.
For example, if you require to be turned and moved regularly as part of your treatment while staying in a hospital due to having poor mobility, and a nurse or doctor fails to do this, you may develop pressure sores or your existing pressure sores could worsen.
However, in order to have a valid medical negligence claim and seek compensation for pressure sores, you must meet the following eligibility criteria:
- You were owed a duty of care by a medical professional.
- This duty was breached by the incorrect standard of care being provided.
- Due to this breach, you experienced avoidable harm.
How Long Do You Have To Make A Pressure Sore Negligence Claim?
There is an additional criterion that a medical negligence claim must meet. In accordance with the Limitation Act 1980, your claim must generally be started within 3 years. This runs from the date of the medical negligence or the date you linked the avoidable harm you suffered with a medical professional breaching their duty of care. This is otherwise known as the date of knowledge.
Certain exceptions apply to this time limit. To learn what these exceptions are or to see if you could be eligible to make a medical negligence claim against a hospital for pressure sores, you can contact our team of advisors.
What Could Cause Pressure Sores?
According to the NHS, a pressure ulcer (known also as a bed sore or pressure sore) is an area of damage to your skin and the tissue underneath. They often develop on bony parts of the body, such as the heels, elbows, hips, and tailbone. There is a higher chance of those who have difficulty moving developing pressure sores.
The medical professionals responsible for your care should also make sure you’re moved and repositioned on a fairly regular basis to reduce the risk of developing a pressure sore. If they fail to do so, this could cause you to develop a bed sore or for them to worsen.
There is a grading system for pressure sores, ranging from grade 1 to grade 4. The higher the grade, the more severe the injury. A grade 1 pressure sore tends to take the form of skin discolouration and may itch. At the higher end of the scale, at grade 4, a pressure sore can cause the skin to be severely damaged and the surrounding tissue may begin to die. The muscles or bone may also be damaged.
Delays in treatment for pressure sores can lead to them becoming worse. You could also suffer from a variety of complications, such as an infection of the bone and joints and blood poisoning due to a weak immune system.
To find out whether you may have a valid case and how much compensation for your pressure sores you may be eligible to receive for the effects of medical negligence if your claim is a success, you can contact our advisors.
How Do You Prove Pressure Sores Were Caused By Medical Negligence?
You’ll need to be able to support a medical negligence claim for pressure sores by presenting sufficient evidence that a medical professional provided substandard care and caused you to experience avoidable harm.
Various forms of evidence could be used to support your case, some examples include:
- Copies of your medical records – These could state the severity of your pressure sores and the treatment you are receiving for them.
- Photographs – These could illustrate the extent and severity of your pressure sores.
- Witness contact information – If anyone witnessed your treatment, they could be contacted at a later date to provide a statement.
- The Bolam Test – Your case may be subjected to the Bolam Test. This is when a panel of medical professionals trained in a relevant field assess whether the standard of care you received was of an appropriate level. You won’t need to arrange this yourself and whether it is carried out is determined on a case-by-case basis.
As part of the claims process, you might be required to attend an independent medical assessment. The report that follows can provide further insight into the way the pressure sores have affected you and will continue to do so in the future. This can then be used to help calculate how much compensation for your pressure sores you may be entitled to receive.
If you contact our advisors today to discuss your case, they could connect you with one of our solicitors if they deem you have a valid claim. A solicitor could then help you with collecting the evidence you need to support your case.
Claim Compensation For Pressure Sores With A No Win No Fee Solicitor
Our medical negligence solicitors work under a type of No Win No Fee arrangement. It is known as a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). When you work with a solicitor in this way, you generally will not have to pay them anything upfront to access their services. Likewise, you will not need to pay them any fees for their work while your claim is in progress or if it ends unsuccessfully.
If you are successfully awarded compensation, your solicitor will be due a success fee. This is taken from your compensation as a percentage. However, the percentage that this fee can be is subjected to a legal cap.
Speak To Us About Your Medical Negligence Claim
Get in touch with our advisors today with any further questions about how much compensation for pressure sores could be awarded for successful medical negligence claims. They are available 24/7 to offer you free advice and could connect you with one of our No Win No Fee solicitors if you have a valid case.
Connect with our team today by:
- Calling 0800 073 8801
- Contacting us through our website.
- Using the pop-up chat window in the corner.
Further Information On Clinical Negligence Claims
Additional medical negligence articles by us:
- Information on claims for medical negligence leading to death and the steps you could take to claim on someone’s behalf.
- Find out what to do if you have suffered a needlestick infection injury and when you could make a claim.
- Learn when could you make a claim for a laser hair removal burn, and the compensation could you receive.
Further information and resources:
- Information on how to raise a concern about your doctor from the General Medical Council.
- Guidance on the NHS Constitution for England from GOV.UK.
- Helpful annual report statistics from NHS Resolution.
If you still have any queries about how much compensation for pressure sores you could potentially receive, contact our advisory team today.