While the NHS provides an excellent service, unfortunately sometimes things still do go wrong. Misdiagnosis of medical problems or incorrect treatment can lead to complications and can even prove to be fatal. In some instances it is difficult to prove that your ill health is as a result of the treatment you have received, not least if you didn’t develop the symptoms until some time later. Our article looks at medical negligence compensation and the difficulties faced by those pursuing claims.
| Disease/ severe illnesses
The misdiagnosis of an illness can seriously affect how that disease progresses and / or spreads. As an example, we have dealt with situations where a tumour was not detected on our client’s scan until it had developed into something more serious.
Compensation can range from around £10,000 to £150,000 depending on severity of injury and the risk it poses to your long-term health.
On top of the compensation for the injury and for pain and suffering, a patient may be able to claim for other treatment costs (if they were paid for privately). This could include expenses such as chemotherapy, physiotherapy or any future operations. This could add up to around £250,000 to the rest of your claim.
| Internal injuries
At times, mistakes occur during surgical procedures which result in problems directly after the surgery or even years later. At other times, doctors miss obstructions or tears in tissue that later develop into more serious injury. For example, one of our clients suffered serious injury due to an obstruction in his bowel, which the medical specialist didn’t spot. Pressure built up, and led to more serious injury and illness. He received over £80,000 in compensation as a result.
In some cases, hip, knee or other joint replacement surgery might go wrong. If it does, or the doctor does not carry out the surgery to the adequate standard, the patient could suffer long-lasting and devastating damage. Medical negligence compensation for this type of claim can be in the region of £30,000 to £100,000.
| Fatal injuries
Unfortunately, there are cases where a medical professional’s mistake is so severe that the patient loses their life. Recently, we dealt with a case where our client was admitted to hospital with an injured foot, but issues with his medication led to him suffering a fatal blood clot.
If this happens, a family may be able to bring a claim for ‘bereavement’ damages’. This is an amount specified by law. The family may also be able to claim for expenses for handling the estate and funeral costs.
Where the deceased’s spouse depended on their income to pay day to day expenses (e.g. the mortgage), they may be able to bring a ‘dependency’ claim. Each claim depends on the individual’s circumstances, so the value of the claim will vary. However, the bereaved spouse can receive up to six figures.
| How can we help?
We will always ensure that your medical negligence compensation claim includes all loses caused by the error. On top of the injury claim, we will ensure you are properly compensated for things like time off work and care costs. These alone can total thousands of pounds.
Call our medical negligence solicitors on 0800 988 7756 for a FREE initial discussion.
