This article addresses how much compensation you could be owed if you’ve suffered avoidable harm as a result of being wrongly prescribed quinine. Quinine is a prescription drug, but if it’s wrongly prescribed, this could have an impact on your health should you take it. We’ve included a section on how compensation is calculated for medical negligence claims in the context of a medication error.
This guide takes you through a medical professional’s duty of care and whether you being wrongly prescribed quinine is in breach of this duty. There is also information on medical negligence claim time limits, as well as the potential impact of being wrongly prescribed quinine medication.
You can get in touch with our advisors at any time of the day or night. It’s free to do so, and we don’t charge for the advice we offer. Read on for more information, including how working with one of our No Win No Fee solicitors can benefit you.
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Select A Section
- How Much Could I Claim If I Was Wrongly Prescribed Quinine?
- Could I Claim If I Was Wrongly Prescribed Quinine?
- How Could Being Wrongly Prescribed Quinine Impact Me?
- How Do I Show Liability In Medical Negligence Claims?
- Find Out If You Could Claim On A No Win No Fee Basis
- Further Guides To Medical Negligence Claims
How Much Could I Claim If I Was Wrongly Prescribed Quinine?
If you’re wrongly prescribed quinine, you could experience physical pain and mental suffering that may have been otherwise avoided. The head of claim that addresses the physical and psychological harm you experience is known as general damages. The value of a general damages payment changes on a case-by-case basis. This is because everyone’s circumstances are unique, and the severity and nature of the harm caused impact the amount that is awarded in general damages.
Those responsible for arriving at an appropriate figure for the harm you’ve experienced may consult medical evidence and a publication called the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG).
The entry at the top of the table is not taken from the JCG.
Harm Caused To | Severity | Notes | Compensation Bracket |
---|---|---|---|
Multiple serious injuries and illnesses plus special damages. | Severe | If you have been harmed in more than one way, all injuries/illnesses are accounted for. The figure could then be combined with special damages such as a loss of earnings and medical expenses. | Up to £1,000,000+ |
Injuries Affecting Senses | Total Blindness and Deafness | Considered as ranking with the most devastating injuries. | In the region of £403,990 |
Injuries Affecting Sight | Total Blindness | The claimant is blind in both eyes. | In the region of £268,720 |
Deafness/Tinnitus | Total Deafness | Lower end of the bracket is appropriate for cases where there is no speech deficit or tinnitus. | £90,750 to £109,650 |
Total Loss of Hearing in One Ear | The top of the brackets takes into account tinnitus, dizziness, or headaches. | £31,310 to £45,540 | |
Partial Hearing Loss (ii) | Moderate to severe tinnitus. | £14,900 to £29,710 | |
Injury Resulting from Brain Damage | Moderate (ii) | The ability to work is greatly reduced if not removed. | £90,720 to £150,110 |
Kidney | Loss of One Kidney. | The loss of one kidney but no damage to the kidney that remains functionable. | £30,770 to £44,880 |
Digestive System | Illness/Damage Resulting from Non-traumatic Injury (ii) | Disturbance of bowel function and impact on sex life resulted from serious but short-lived poisoning. | £9,540 to £19,200 |
Extracts From The JCG
We’ve provided some figures from the latest edition of the JCG in the table below. They’re based on successful court cases. The value of your own compensation will differ, so please use the figures on show only as a rough guide.
Other Types Of Medical Negligence Compensation
Some claims can include a second head of loss called special damages. This figure, if you’re eligible to receive it, is to account for the financial impact of the harm you experience.
Here are some of the costs/losses that could be addressed under special damages:
- Medical costs.
- Travel costs.
- Loss of earnings.
- Care at home.
It’s important to be able to support this area of your claim with evidence. Good examples of evidence include payslips and receipts.
If you’ve been harmed because you’ve been wrongly prescribed quinine, then our advisors can value your potential claim in its entirety. Get in touch today for a free valuation.
Could I Claim If I Was Wrongly Prescribed Quinine?
To make a medical negligence claim for the suffering caused by being wrongly prescribed Quinine, you will need to prove that the prescription error occurred because the prescribing practitioner was negligent.
Therefore to have an eligible medical negligence claim for being wrongly prescribed Quinine, you will need to prove the following:
- Were you owed a duty of care? – If you were treated or seen by a medical professional, then the answer to this is “yes”. All medical professionals owe their patients a duty of care. This means that they must provide you with a level of care that meets a certain standard.
- Was this duty breached? – A medical professional breaches their duty of care when the level of care with which they provide their patients falls below the standard required of them. In the context of this claim, this could be if you were negligently misdiagnosed and wrongly prescribed quinine.
- Were you harmed? – The breach of a medical professional’s duty of care needs to have caused you physical or psychological harm. If so, you could have the basis of a valid medical negligence claim.
There is also a claim time limit to consider, which we’ve elaborated upon in the section below.
Limitation Periods On How Long You Could Claim
In accordance with the Limitation Act 1980, you generally have 3 years to begin the process of claiming. This time limit typically begins from the date you were harmed or the date you first realised that medical negligence had occurred. There are exceptions to this time limit, especially for those who are under the age of 18 or lack the mental capacity to pursue their own claim.
Contact our advisors to learn more.
How Could Being Wrongly Prescribed Quinine Impact Me?
Quinine has been used to treat certain conditions, such as nocturnal leg cramps. However, even then, the dosage and period of time spent using the medication are monitored very closely. This is because it can be toxic in certain concentrations.
In this section, we’ve included some examples of how wrongly prescribed quinine could cause you harm. Here are examples of the adverse effects that quinine can have on a patient:
- Tinnitus.
- Loss of hearing
- Headaches
- Blurred vision.
- Confusion.
- Abdominal pain
Quinine has a number of potentially significant drug interactions, including with digoxin and warfarin. If you are prescribed quinine in a prescription error, and you are taking these medications, it could cause serious harm.
Thrombocytopenia, a severe but rare reaction, can take place, which could ultimately lead to a fatality. Get in touch today if you have any questions about making a medical negligence claim in the wake of being wrongly prescribed quinine.
How Do I Show Liability In Medical Negligence Claims?
A medical negligence claim needs to be supported by evidence. We’ve provided some examples of what it can be useful to present during the process, but the list is not exhaustive. Other forms of evidence may be available to you.
- Medical evidence – For example, you could acquire your medical records. A hospital discharge letter can also prove useful.
- Witness contact details – Loved ones may have been with you during a consultant or GP appointment, for example. If you pass on their contact details to your solicitor, then they could approach them to submit a statement as part of the claims process.
- A written account – Keep a diary of the harm you’ve experienced. Include relevant dates, symptoms, and the overall impact on your health and life.
A Bolam Test may also be requested. The Test requires a panel of medical professionals to be assembled to determine whether the standard of care provided by the practitioner in question was of the expected standard.
You will also be invited to attend an independent medical assessment as part of your claim.
If you’ve been wrongly prescribed quinine and want to find out more about how you can support a claim with evidence, get in touch with our advisors today.
Find Out If You Could Claim On A No Win No Fee Basis
There is a certain type of No Win No Fee arrangement that exists, which our solicitors have in place when they work with you. It’s called a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). A CFA enables you to access your solicitor’s legal services but does not require you to pay them anything upfront. Instead, your solicitor only takes a fee if your claim is successful. This is known as a success fee.
They take this fee as a percentage of your compensation. The percentage, known as a success fee, is legally capped. It isn’t taken if your claim fails.
Contact Us
Reach out to us today for answers to any questions you may have regarding your potential claim. Once you’ve answered a few of our questions, we’ll be able to give you information and advice more specific to your circumstances.
We also have the ability to connect you with one of our No Win No Fee solicitors if your claim is valid. However, there is no obligation to make a claim if you speak with us.
- Call on 0800 073 8801
- Contact us via our website
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Further Guides To Medical Negligence Claims
Follow the links below to find additional resources that we hope you also find useful.
More from us:
- Read the answers to some of our medical negligence claims FAQs. You may find the answer you’re looking for.
- Find out if you could make a medical negligence claim for delays in treatment by reading this article.
- This guide features 10 things you should know when claiming medical negligence compensation. We hope you find it helpful.
Information from other sources:
- Information on litigation friends and how to appoint one to claim on behalf of an individual incapable of doing so themselves.
- This Government page contains information on the Pre-Action Protocol for the Resolution of Clinical Disputes. Read it to learn more.
- The Government states that quinine is not to be used routinely for nocturnal leg cramps. Find out why.
We hope you now have a more thorough understanding of if you can make a medical negligence claim for being wrongly prescribed quinine.