Hospital Infections Claims – Compensation Examples

By Danielle Griffin. Last Updated 14th March 2023. On this page, you will gain access to a detailed guide to making compensation claims against the NHS and private healthcare services for compensation for hospital acquired infections.

The guide contains information and advice required to instigate a personal injury claim if you have contracted an infection whilst staying at a healthcare facility, or as an outpatient. It answers questions about making a hospital infection claim in general, as well as covering c diff compensation claims and MRSA claims in detail.

If you would rather skip over reading this guide about hospital infection claims, and move straight on the making a No Win No Fee compensation claim, you can call Accident Claims UK on 0800 073 8801 today. We can talk you through the process of making a claim, and begin claiming hospital infection compensation on your behalf.

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What Infections Do People Acquire In Hospitals?

There are a range of common types of infections that could commonly  be the cause for a person to instigate a hospital infection compensation claim. These are:

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Hospital infection claims

  • Difficile – a virulent, robust virus that has the potential to be very dangerous with symptoms including muscle cramps, diarrhoea and stomach pain
  • Colitis – an infection of the colon with symptoms including loss of both appetite and weight, diarrhoea, mild fever and dehydration
  • Staphylococcal infection – a very common bacteria, harmless to most people but not to some, with symptoms including inflammation, itching, painful skin
  • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) – a very common hospital infection, with symptoms including general unwellness, pain, swelling and some tenderness in the area of the infection, confused thoughts, dizziness and fever
  • Cellulitis – this is a more advanced form of MRSA, which can occur when the symptoms of MRSA are not treated. Typical symptoms include sepsis, infections of the urinary tract, inflamed bone marrow, and septic arthritis
  • E coli – a serious infection, passed on from person to person and in badly cooked food, with symptoms include diarrhoea, cramps, nausea and vomiting. E coli can be passed through direct contact with someone that is infected. It usually originates from eating unpasteurised milk or under-cooked food
  • Ebola virus – a very uncommon infection, but a serious one with symptoms such as weakness of the muscles, pain in the muscles, severe headache, and a very high fever

All of these infections could be grounds to begin hospital infection claims. Call Accident Claims UK on the number at the bottom of this page to proceed with your claim.

How And Why Do People Acquire Infections In Hospitals?

There are many ways that a person could contract an infection whilst they are staying in the hospital, or as an out-patient. However, some causes are much more common than others which includes the following:

  • Patients and staff moving from one area of the healthcare facility to another, freely, and taking infections with them
  • Many patients will have some form of open wound, either due to some form of accident or through a medical or surgical procedure. This presents a very easy way for bacteria to get inside the body.
  • Patients who are already ill may have a vastly weakened immune system, this presents a very easy way for a bacteria or virus to get a foothold
  • When surgical and medical equipment is reused, without being sterilised properly, bacteria can still be living on the piece of equipment, passing it on to the next patient that is treated with it
  • New bacteria can be introduced to the hospital by people who either walk into or are bought into the Accident & Emergency Department

No matter how you contracted an infection while you were in the hospital, or as an out-patient, Accident Claims UK can help you get the compensation you could be entitled to. Call us at the number at the bottom of this page to proceed.

What Steps Should You Take If You Acquire An Infection at a Healthcare Facility?

Before you engage a personal injury solicitor to claim compensation for a hospital infection, there are several steps you can take to maximise your chances of winning your claim, such as:

  • Make sure to write down the events that led to your being infected while you were in the hospital so that when you make your claim, you will have all of the facts straight
  • Write down all of the financial losses you have encountered due to the infection. This includes losses such as having to miss work, and also having to pay travel costs remembering to keep all receipts
  • Ask your doctor what the long-term prognosis of your recovery is, and will you have any permanent medical issues due to the illness

Once you have taken steps such as these above, you can contact Accident Claims UK on the number at the bottom of this page to begin your claim. We provide free legal advice on hospital infection claims and are happy to provide a no-obligation case review.

Is it possible to Receive Compensation For MRSA Acquired After A C-Section Leading To A PND?

In rare cases, a woman who has had a C-section to assist in childbirth could contract MRSA. When it can be proven to have been caused by the hospital that performed the C-section, then a valid reason to make hospital compensation claims may well exist.

Accident Claims UK is experienced in making hospital infection claims in such cases. Call us at the number at the bottom of this page so that we can assist you.

Is it possible to Receive Compensation For Hospital Infections Caused By Bed Sores?

Bedsores can be a valid reason to instigate a compensation claim, although they are not a standard type of infection negligence claims. Bed sores have symptoms such as:

  • Itchy skin – caused by constant abrasion by the bed
  • Hard or warm skin – caused by constant abrasion by the development of callouses
  • Wrongly coloured skin – caused by skin cells dying or the flesh underneath being bruised
  • Deep wounds – caused by bed sores going untreated and becoming worse
  • Blisters – caused by the skin constantly rubbing on the bed

If you have symptoms such as these while in the hospital, call Accident Claims UK on the number at the bottom of this page to start a claim.

Is it possible to Receive Compensation MRSA Whilst Employed At A Healthcare Facility?

As with any company or organisation in the UK, the NHS is required by law to keep its employees safe at all times. Therefore, if you are a medical worker who has contracted a case of MRSA while undertaking your duties, you could have grounds to claim NHS compensation.

Accident Claims UK is a team of hospital infection compensation claims solicitors who have the necessary experience in making claims for employees who contracted a work-related illness. Call us at the number at the bottom of this page so that we can assist you.

Employee Hospital Negligence Claims For E-Coli

As with MRSA cases discussed in the section above, if the hospital you are working at fails in its Health & Safety duties, which results in you contracting a serious illness such as E coli, then a reason could exist to instigate a hospital acquired infection lawsuit. A personal injury lawyer will have a way to assist you with this.

Call Accident Claims UK on the number at the bottom of this page, and we can assist you to instigate a compensation claim against the hospital that you work at.

MRSA Compensation Claims

MRSA is extremely infectious in the transfer of the illness, and is one that can be transferred from person to person. Therefore, not every case of MRSA may have been picked up at a healthcare facility. It is important that it can be proven that your case of MRSA was caused by an event that took place at a healthcare facility.

MRSA is very robust in characteristics, it cannot be treated with antibiotics, and it is very resistant to other forms of medication. It can be a very serious illness, especially if left untreated.

Accident Claims UK has a history of making successful MRSA compensation claims on behalf of our clients. Call us at the number at the bottom of this page and we’ll explain the hospital infection claims process.

Claiming Compensation for Cellulitis In A Child

It is possible to make successful claims against the NHS for children who contracted cellulitis. The parent or guardian of the child, would need to be the person who makes the claim. If the parent or guardian fails to do so, then the child will be eligible to pursue their own claim once they reach 18 years of age. However, they must make their claim within 3 years of their 18th birthday which means they have till they are 21 to do so.

If you have just turned 18 and need to instigate a compensation claim for cellulitis, call Accident Claims UK on the number at the bottom of this page now. Our hospital infection claims case review is free and you’ll receive guidance on your options.

Compensation For Hospital Infections From A Catheter

Many infections can be caught whilst a patient is having a catheter fitted or changed. If you contract an illness such as MRSA due to an infection caught while having a catheter fitted, you may have the right to claim MRSA compensation.

Why not contact Accident Claims UK on the number at the bottom of this page to start the hosptial infection claims process today?

Is it possible to Receive Compensation An Infection At A Healthcare Facility As An Employee?

As an employee of a hospital, you are protected by Health & Safety legislation laid down by the UK H&S Executive, which states that you should always have a safe and healthy environment to work in. Therefore, if you were to contract an illness such as sepsis while employed at a healthcare facility, you could have the right to claim sepsis compensation.

Accident Claims UK are highly experience in making compensation claims for work-related illnesses on behalf of our clients, call us on the number at the bottom of this page so that we can help you as well.

What Can You Include In Your Compensation Claim?

When we look at medical negligence compensation examples, we typically see the following types of damages being claimed:

  • General damages:
    • Pain and misery – associated with the original infection
    • Mental anguish – associated with the original infection
    • Long-term effects on life quality (loss of amenity) – as a direct result of the initial infection
  • Special damages:
    • Medical costs – due to having your infection treated
    • Travel costs – due to travelling for medical treatment or in the pursuit of a compensation claims case
    • Loss of earnings – as a result of the illness, this covers both current income and future income
    • Out of pocket expenses – any other costs you have encountered that can be attributed directly to the infection

For a better indication of the types of damages, you might have the right to claim, contact Accident Claims UK on the number at the bottom of this page to learn more about hospital infection claims.

Hospital Negligence Compensation

If a breach in the duty of care owed to you by a medical professional caused you to suffer unnecessarily, you may be interested to learn how compensation for hospital negligence is awarded. As we stated above, if your claim is successful, you could be awarded general damages and special damages. In this section, we take a look at general damages.

When assigning value to the pain and suffering caused by hospital acquired infections, legal professionals use a document called the Judicial College Guidelines to help them. It guides them by listing various injuries in different severities alongside compensation brackets.

Our table below contains figures for potential injuries that could be caused by an infection. It is not an exact representation of what hospital negligence compensation you could be awarded and should only be used as guidance.

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Injury Notes Compensation
Bladder (c) In this bracket, there is a serious impairment to controlling the bladder along with pain and incontinence. £63,980 to £79,930
Kidney (b) The claimant is at significant risk of future urinary tract infections along with total loss of natural kidney functioning. Up to £63,980
Digestive System – Non-traumatic Injury (i) Long-term symptoms such as nausea, diarrhoea, bowel problems and fever. £38,430 to £52,500
Digestive System – Non-traumatic Injury (ii) Extended duration of symptoms such as diarrhoea, stomach cramps, pain and significant suffering. £9,540 to £19,200
Digestive System – Non-traumatic Injury (iii) Infections that cause medium-term symptoms, such as pain, stomach cramps, and fatigue. £3,950 to £9,540
Digestive System – Non-traumatic Injury (iv) Minor symptoms such as inflammation, irritation, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea that will heal swiftly. £910 to £3,950
Scarring In this bracket, the claimant will be left with noticeable scars to the legs, arms, hands, back or chest. £7,830 to £22,730
Scarring In this bracket, there is a minor cosmetic deficit caused by a single noticeable scar or several superficial scars. £2,370 to £7,830
Dermatitis (a) The claimant suffers from dermatitis to both hands that affect employment and domestic capabilities along with some mental health consequences. £13,740 to £19,200
Dermatitis (b) In this bracket, the dermatitis affects one or both hands. It will continue for a significant time but settle with treatment. £8,640 to £11,410

Our advisors can value your potential claim for free as well as discuss what you could potentially recover under special damages. Call us today.

No Win No Fee Infection Negligence Claims

Accident Claims UK offers our key service offering, a No Win No Fee medical negligence claims service, as the best vehicle for claiming compensation for an infection at a healthcare facility.

To define No Win No Fee fully, under this kind of agreement, the only time you ever have to pay our legal fees is when you actually receive a compensation payment. When you begin your hospital infection claim, there is no charge because we pursue your claim, even it takes an extended amount of time, even months, there will be no ongoing fees. And if for some reason, we were to fail in making your claim, then you won’t pay us anything at all.

This makes the service we offer a simple, effective and entirely risk-free way to instigate a compensation claim for infection at a healthcare facility. Call Accident Claims UK on the number at the bottom of this page to begin your claim.

How We Can Help Make A Claim for Hospital Acquired Infections

To have the best chance of making successful MRSA compensation claims, you need the best legal team that has the knowledge and experience to go toe to toe with a large organisation such as the NHS, or a private healthcare provider and win. Accident Claims UK is such a legal team. We have successfully won compensation for our clients in a very wide range of medical negligence claims, and we can do the same for you.

We will always keep you in the loop, by giving your regular updates on the status of your claim, and we will do so using plain English, not difficult to understand legal jargon. We are always available to answer any questions you may have.

We will always attempt to get you the maximum level of compensation possible, without ever risking your claim. Please call us today to discuss hosptial infection claims.

Speak To Our Team Today

Are you ready to instigate a compensation claim for hospital acquired infections? If you are, then you should call Accident Claims UK now on 0800 073 8801. We will spend some time asking you questions about your illness, and once we have all the information we need about your case, we will give you some free legal advice on what we believe you should do next. In many cases, this will be to use our medical negligence claims service to get you the compensation you’re a eligible for.

Helpful Resources And Links

At the link below, you will gain access to the information published by the UK Government, with reference to healthcare-associated infections: