We are lucky enough to have a high standard of medical treatment in this country that is carried out by qualified professionals. However, accidents do happen and if you’ve been treated poorly as a patient there is a way you can claim medical negligence compensation.

Medical negligence cases occur when patients have been treated poorly by their general practitioner, surgeon, carer, doctor or nurse. Medical negligence solicitors deal with a vast number of cases, they are experts in their field and know what they are looking for. The more common compensation claims include patients with undiagnosed fractures – the patient has complained to their GP of a fracture and the patient has been discharged with a diagnosis of a sprain. By the time the patient returns to the GP it is often too late to operate on the fracture causing them permanent damage. Negligence can also occur in Accident and Emergency wards in hospitals, when a patient visits the ward with a problem and the doctors or nurses do not follow hospital protocol and discharge the patient only for them to return again in distress. A well-known A&E negligence case was reported by a lady whose husband died the evening after a visit to the Accident and Emergency department. The patient was complaining of a severe asthma attack, the doctors did not follow the usual code and discharged him. Hours later he died from an acute asthma attack.

Medical negligence can also occur during surgery but patients must understand there are risks involved in any surgery and you are informed of all the risks before the operation. If these risks do occur, medical negligence cannot be claimed as the patient will have been warned beforehand. If the standard of care falls below what is expected only then is there scope for a case – there must be evidence that the injury or damage caused was a result of negligence. Once you have the evidence, your claim should stand up in court, solicitors will also be able to help you if you are unsure your claim will be successful. Accidents can happen in surgery and some examples include accidental cutting of blood vessels or nerves and carrying out unnecessary surgery as a result of mixed notes and wrong diagnosis.

Medical negligence can also occur during childbirth, if a midwife, doctor, nurse or specialist’s care has fallen below the standard of what is expected then you more than likely will have a claim. Negligence during delivery can lead to a number of problems but a common problem is cerebral palsy. This disease can lead to chronic conditions affecting body and muscle movement. This usually occurs when there has been a lack of oxygen flow to the baby’s brain during delivery. 10% of cerebral palsy cases are due to medical negligence – if you feel you have been treated poorly during child labour speak to medical negligence experts for help and advice.

Medical negligence solicitors are experts in their field and know their field inside out; this is why most work on a no win no fee basis. The experts are confident enough to know whether your case will stand in court or not. Often patients or relatives of patients are going through a traumatic time when applying for a medical negligence claim and therefore most companies have specialist teams to counsel you through your claim.

Author Bio: Ian Grainger is writing on behalf of Pearson Hinchliffe, specialist medical negligence solicitors in Manchester.

Category: Legal
Keywords: medical negligence, medical negligence claims, medical negligence compensation, misdiagnosis