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Advice On Medical Negligence Claims
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Free initial advice
If you've been hurt, our trusted solicitors can help
No upfront fees. No obligation. A specialist will review your enquiry and come back to you.
Trusted by injured people across the UK
If you’ve arrived at this page you’re likely looking for legal advice on medical negligence claims.
Clinical negligence, as it’s otherwise known, refers to the unnecessary and avoidable harm inflicted by healthcare professionals during the course of treating you.
Medical negligence can relate to the likes of:
Below, you can find out more information about making a medical negligence claim. But importantly, you can learn about how we can help you.
Our team here at Accident Claims UK boasts some of the finest medical negligence solicitors in the country, some securing multi-million-pound settlements. We can connect you with them today. All you need to do is contact us in one of the following ways:
The term “medical negligence” is an umbrella term for a range of actions, or inactions, which medical professionals may take that causes injury, illness or the worsening of a condition in their patient. Any medical professional has a duty of care towards you as a patient and so any act which breaks that duty and causes harm or unnecessary injury can be deemed medical negligence.
Common medical negligence claims are often brought about after occurrences such as a misdiagnosis, late diagnosis, surgical errors, mishandled births, incorrect treatment, or negligence by either a care home, a hospital or by a pharmacist. These kinds of errors can have catastrophic repercussions which could lead to life-altering injures or conditions, life-long psychological problems and even death. If you or a loved one have suffered through an error on the behalf of your medical practitioner, then you may be entitled to compensation.
In order to be able to qualify for medical negligence payouts, your solicitor must be able to prove these three points:
Your specialist medical negligence solicitor will be on hand to guide you through the process of claiming compensation. They will arrange for a local medical examination to take place so that your injury or illness, and its effects, can be thoroughly assessed in order to present as evidence of your claim. Your lawyer and their team will fill out all the paperwork for you and keep you updated as your claim progresses. This will leave you able to concentrate your energy on your own recovery.
As previously mentioned, wrongful diagnosis and delayed diagnosis are two types of grounds for clinical negligence claims and they are two of the most common. Another common type of medical negligence claim is that for surgical errors. Many people go under the knife every day and unfortunately for some, there are disastrous consequences of this.
Unfortunately, another common type of medical negligence claim is that for a mishandled pregnancy or birth. Pregnancy and labour are incredibly dangerous times for a woman and there can be complications that arise during the 9 months of pregnancy and during labour.
If you received poor advice or substandard care during your pregnancy, labour or birth which resulted in injury or illness to yourself or your baby, then you can claim compensation with the help of qualified medical negligence compensation solicitors.
Other common grounds for medical negligence claims include prescription or medication mistakes, dental clinical negligence claims and claims against care received during hospital stays or against the standard of care received in a care home setting.
There are time limits with any compensation claim for personal injuries, but the clinical negligence claims time limit is a little more flexible than most. As with all other compensation time limits, there are three years from the incident to begin your claim for medical negligence.
However, this time limit is considered to start from the day that you became or were aware or were informed that you had been subject to injury or developed an illness that was down to medical negligence.
This means that, according to medical negligence UK law, you may have been misdiagnosed on a specific day, but your 3-year time limit for a claim does not start until the day you are made aware that you were originally misdiagnosed, for example. If you are claiming for a loved one who no longer has the capacity to claim for themselves, or they have passed away, then the three-year time limit still stands.
In the cases where a child has been affected by medical negligence, then the three-year time limit does not begin to be counted until that child has turned 18. So, you have until the child’s 21st birthday to begin the claim process.
As the nature of medical negligence claims are very complex, the time limits which apply to your case may be individual and specific. However, it is always best to begin your claim process as quickly as possible by finding a medical negligence solicitor near me in order to be certain that you don’t fall outside of your time limit.
In order to claim for medical negligence compensation, you will need evidence that can support your case. Evidence that could support your claim may include the following:
One of our medical negligence solicitors could help you gather evidence for your case. To see if you could work with one of them, or for more advice on making a medical negligence claim, contact our advisors either online or on the phone today.
Losing a family member or loved one is always difficult, no matter the circumstances. However, knowing that your loved one’s death could have been prevented if they had received the correct medical care can make the entire grieving process exceptionally difficult.
Though a claim for fatal medical negligence cannot bring a loved one back, it could help relieve financial pressure in the wake of your loss, as well as secure justice for them.
We specialise in medical negligence resulting in death. If you’d like to enquire about making a claim on behalf of a loved one you’ve lost, get in touch for free advice.
Many people have concerns about making a compensation claim against the NHS. They fear that a claim will impact its funding and may make already strained services even worse.
However, it’s important to understand that this is not the case.
Medical negligence compensation is paid out by the insurers of the NHS. This means any compensation awarded would not have any direct impact on the NHS or its ability to function.
Claims against the NHS usually involve substandard care received during a hospital stay or treatment from an NHS hospital or care facility. It’s only fair that if you suffer because of substandard care you receive the compensation you deserve.
Private medical practices are supposed to uphold the same standard of care as the NHS. If they fall below that standard, they can be found liable for any injury, illness or worsening of conditions that those actions cause.
Private practices often have extensive insurance policies which will cover them in the event of them facing a medical negligence claim.
Every medical negligence compensation claim is individual and unique. Due to this there is no standard amount you are likely to receive for a medical negligence claim.
Medical negligence payouts are usually relative to the severity of the illness or injury sustained as a result of the negligence. For example, if you have encountered paralysis as a consequence of negligent medical care then the amounts of compensation you could be awarded could be on the higher end.
Psychological trauma is also covered in medical negligence claims; sufferers of PTSD triggered by medical negligence could receive a significant amount depending on the severity of the condition and the impact it has on their life. With this in mind, the table below offers an illustration.
| Injury | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Severe Injuries or Illnesses Plus Special Damages | Up to £1,000,000+ | Multiple serious illnesses or injuries with special damages such as loss of earnings and medical expenses. |
| Quadriplegic Paralysis | £324,600 to £403,990 | Those who experience physical pain with their speech and other senses significant affected will be more applicable to the higher end of this bracket. |
| Very Severe Brain Damage | £282,010 to £403,990 | A small ability to follow basic instructions with little response to their environment that is meaningful. |
| Kidney | £169,400 to £210,400 | The complete loss of both kidneys or they have both been seriously and permanently damaged. |
| Bowels | Up to £184,200 | Double incontinence with the complete loss of the bowel and urinary function alongside other medical complications. |
| Female Reproductive System | £114,900 to £170,280 | Infertility due to disease or injury that also causes sexual dysfunction and depression. |
| Male Reproductive System | In excess of £153,870 | The complete loss of the male reproductive organs. |
| Bladder | Up to £140,660 | A complete loss of the control and function of the bladder. |
| Lung Disease | £70,030 to £97,330 | Impaired quality of life and lung function due to lung cancer, typically in an older person. |
| Digestive System (b)(i) | £38,430 to £52,500 | Hospital admission for a few days or weeks due to severe toxicosis that causes vomiting, fever and acute pain. |
Claims following injury caused by clinical negligence can also include compensation for the financial losses caused by this negligence. This will be compensated under the heading known as special damages. Under this, you could be compensated for the cost of:
To see how much compensation you could be owed for your medical negligence claim, contact one of our advisors today.
If you have a valid medical negligence case, one of our solicitors could help you with making a claim and pursuing compensation. Additionally one of our experienced medical negligence solicitors may offer to support your clinical negligence claim on a No Win No Fee basis with a Conditional Fee Agreement.
With this No Win No Fee arrangement in place, you will benefit from the following:
However, if they succeed with your medical negligence claim, they will be due a success fee. This will be taken directly out of your compensation as a legally capped percentage.
To discuss your medical negligence claim and to see if you could be eligible to work with one of our No Win No Fee medical negligence solicitors, contact our team of advisors today. They can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via the following methods:
Below, you can find links to some of our other guides on medical negligence: