Claiming for Medical Negligence

An injury received while in the hands of a medical profession can be traumatic – and can also leave a person facing serious financial difficulties. People can be left out of work and unable to pay the bills or feed their children.

In these situations, it is right that they have a route to redress and a means of ensuring that they are not left to suffer because of something that was not their fault.

The principle of access to justice applies across the board, whether the accident or injury occurs in the workplace, on the road or in a hospital.

Those who work in the medical profession, have a "duty of care" to ensure their patients receive the correct treatment in a proper manner. In the majority of cases, medical professionals carry out their work to a high standard - however, sometimes mistakes do happen and patients can suffer as a result.

If someone feels they have incurred an injury due to the actions (or lack of actions) by a doctor, nurse, surgeon or dentist, then they may be liable to make medical negligence claims (clinical negligence claims).

Medical negligence claims can vary from mis-diagnosis, delay in diagnosis which resulted in an injury, surgical errors, neglect and injuries to a mother or child during childbirth (birth injury claims).

The compensation amounts that you can receive following a successful medical negligence (clinical negligence) claim depends on many factors including the severity of the injury caused, salary (if your normal salary is high and you cannot work as a result of your injury, then you would expect more compensation) and the number of financial dependents you have.

Due to the nature of the claim, medical negligence claims can be lengthy and complex, proving that a medical practitioner was in fact negligent and that the injury was a direct result of that medical professional’s negligence. It is therefore crucial that claimants deal with specialist medical negligence solicitors who have experience in the field.

The National Accident Helpline deals with a network of highly experienced specialist no win no fee solicitors across the country who can deal with your medical negligence claim in a professional and efficient manner. So, if you feel you have been a victim of clinical negligence, you can speak to an expert to see if you can make a compensation claim.

Many people balk at the prospect of making a claim. Navigating the claims process can be daunting, but it is important to remember that the compensation claims system is in place for a reason – and the principal of access to justice is important.

The first step to making a claim is speaking to a trained person who can advise as to whether your claim is worth pursuing. This can be done easily. At National Accident Helpline, call centre staff can tell you whether they think you should speak to a solicitor. They can then put you in touch with one in your area to progress your claim.