Medical Emergencies, Medical Negligence and When to Claim Compensation
Some medical conditions and situations are regarded as an emergency. A failure to recognise this may put the life of the patient or their long-term well-being at significant risk and may justify a claim for compensation.
Medical emergencies
A number of different medical conditions may be regarded as a medical emergency. It is not just a matter of a threat to life but, in some situations, a condition which may severely undermine the patient's long-term health.
As well as symptoms such as choking and severe bleeding, a number of medical conditions could be included, as follows, and which might require the relevant medical professionals to recognise and respond to in a timely manner.
- A stroke
- A heart attack
- Necrotising fasciitis
- Cauda equina syndrome
- Sepsis
If medical professionals fail to respond appropriately to a patient whose condition may be generally regarded as an emergency, they may be considered as having been negligent in their duty of care.
Negligent medical care and compensation
Examples of negligent medical care which may result in a life-threatening or life-changing delay in diagnosis and treatment could include the following:
- A failure to examine or assess the patient thoroughly
- A failure to recognise the significance of the patient's symptoms
- A misdiagnosis
- A delay in making a referral for specialist intervention
- A failure of red flag advice
- A failure to initiate appropriate treatment within the recommended timeframe
If the result of this is that the patient suffers a worse outcome than should have been the case with an appropriate level of care, it may be possible to make a claim for compensation.
A successful compensation claim addresses the symptoms and difficulties which have been caused by the negligent care.
If, for example, a patient is struggling to work and experiencing a significant loss of income due to their symptoms, their loss of earnings could be included in their claim.
Likewise, if the patient now requires significant levels of personal care or for adaptations to be carried out to their home environment or they need specialist treatment or equipment, these costs could be included in their claim insofar as they have been caused by the negligence.
Speak to a legal specialist
If you or a loved one have suffered due to negligent medical care, contact Glynns Solicitors today to talk to a solicitor, free of charge, about the possibility of making a claim.
We are a dedicated medical negligence legal practice with a team of experienced lawyers and extensive, wide-raging expertise in medical negligence claims.
Don't delay; compensation claims for medical negligence are associated with a deadline of three years from the date of the alleged negligence and a thorough investigation needs to be carried out prior to that deadline.
We can offer No Win No Fee medical negligence funding which we will discuss with you during your free initial telephone discussion.
Please call us free on 0800 234 3300 or complete our Online Enquiry Form.
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