Misdiagnoses, Clinical Negligence and When to Claim Compensation
A patient is legally entitled to claim compensation when negligent medical care has caused them to suffer an adverse outcome which would not have been the case with an acceptable level of care.
A misdiagnosis of a patient's condition may cause only a minor impact, a short delay in treatment and little difference to the patient's long-term outcome.
In other scenarios, however, a misdiagnosis can prove catastrophic, life-changing and may even prove to be fatal.
Where a patient is suffering from what might be described as a time-critical condition, where their prognosis may deteriorate rapidly over days or even hours, a misdiagnosis can be devastating. If a medical emergency is not recognised as such and if the patient is inappropriately reassured as to the severity of their condition, the relevant medical professional may be regarded as having been negligent in the quality of their care and this may justify a claim for compensation.
Even where the outcome does not prove to be fatal, a misdiagnosis can leave the patient suffering with life-changing symptoms as serious as brain injury, double incontinence, loss of mobility or amputation.
Compensation claims
A successful compensation claim addresses the consequences of the negligent care. For example, if the patient suffers a significant loss of income, both past and future, as a result of their negligent care, a successful claim would restore that loss of earnings to them insofar as their loss is attributable to the negligence.
Likewise, if the results of the negligent misdiagnosis have left the patient in need of personal care, specialist treatment or extensive household adaptations, the associated costs would be included in the claim.
If you or a loved one are suffering from the consequences of negligent medical care, a successful claim can go a very long way to providing a sense of justice and providing the resources to face the challenges of your symptoms.
Making a claim
Claims for compensation for medical negligence are, not surprisingly, extremely complex. Before a claim can be issued with a court, an investigation into the quality of the patient's medical care needs to be carried out. A specialist solicitor will obtain copies of all the relevant medical records and engage the services of the best medical experts to analyse the patient's care.
If an act of negligence is identified, causing the patient to suffer an adverse outcome, your solicitor will make a comprehensive assessment of its impact and the value of your claim.
Free legal advice
If you are thinking of making a claim, it is essential to talk to a legal specialist.
Glynns Solicitors is a dedicated medical negligence legal practice with a team of experienced solicitors and a longstanding history of success in high value claims.
Contact us today to talk to a solicitor, free of charge, about the possibility of making a claim.
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.
Make An Enquiry
Why Choose Us
- Specialist medical negligence solicitors
- Free initial enquiries
- No win, no fee available
Reviews
"I would like to say a big thank you to you for making this whole process easy and relatively painless. You kept me informed throughout and you were always polite and courteous in all forms of communication. I would not hesitate to recommend you to friends and family, so a really big thank you and I wish you all the best in the future."
Mr A.
Our Expertise
Helping Clients Across England & Wales
Free Medical Negligence Guide
'7 Questions You Must Ask Before Choosing A Medical Negligence Solicitor'