Appendicitis Claims

Appendicitis Negligence Compensation Claims

Appendicitis is a relatively common medical condition that can be successfully treated if diagnosed promptly and accurately. Unfortunately, if an appendicitis diagnosis is delayed, it can become more serious and potentially cause the patient long-term harm.

Appendicitis has symptoms that are common to a number of abdominal disorders; as a result, a medical professional may miss or misdiagnose the condition. Failing to provide accurate in the first instance does not necessarily mean your healthcare provider was negligent, as your medical history and symptoms may make a different diagnosis plausible. However, in a case where another medical professional would have made an accurate appendicitis diagnosis but your doctor failed in that regard, this may be deemed medical negligence and you may be entitled to appendicitis claims.

Medical Negligence Direct works with a panel of specialist medical negligence solicitors with a strong track record of success in pursuing appendix negligence claims across England and Wales.

Our experience means we can offer a fast, clear and accurate assessment of the strength of your claim and the estimated compensation amount you may be entitled to, as well as provide expert legal support and representation to make the medical negligence claims process as smooth as possible.

What is the Appendix?

The appendix is a small, narrow 3.5-inch-long tube connected to the large intestine. It has no known function in the human body.

What is Appendicitis?

This is the inflammation or painful swelling of the appendix. Medical experts are unsure of what causes appendicitis, but it usually happens when the appendix is blocked by stool, a foreign body, or cancer, resulting in pain, inflammation and the growth of bacteria. Most cases of appendicitis require urgent medical attention, and surgery.

If a patient does not receive prompt medical attention, the inflamed appendix can eventually get perforated or burst, leading to infection in the abdominal cavity.

Appendicitis is the most common abdominal emergency, with England recording over 40,000 hospital admissions each year, and a significant number of appendicitis deaths per year. It can affect people of all ages, but mostly affects those aged between 10-30 years old.

What Are the Symptoms of Appendicitis UK?

Pain is the main symptom of appendicitis. It usually starts in the middle of the abdomen and may come and go over a period of time, then become constant and severe and shift towards the lower right side of the abdomen over the appendix.

You may experience other symptoms such as:

• Nausea
• Loss of appetite
• Diarrhoea
• Feeling or being sick
• Pain is aggravated by pressing on this area, coughing, walking or making other jarring movements
• Swollen belly
• Pain urination, difficulty passing urine, or passing more than usual urine.

Unfortunately, appendicitis mimics other minor abdominal conditions, which means that medical professionals may misdiagnose the conditions, giving rise to medical negligence claims. Appendicitis may be confused with other conditions like pelvic infection, gastroenteritis, constipation, Crohn’s disease, severe irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and bladder or urine infections.

When May I Have Appendix Negligence Claims?

You may be entitled to an appendicitis claims compensation if you have suffered harm as a result of negligent treatment related to appendicitis. You may be able to make a claim compensation if you have been a victim of any of the following:

• Infection due to delayed diagnosis

If your condition was not promptly diagnosed, then your appendix may rupture, resulting in the release of faecal matter into your abdomen and a massive infection. Medical professionals owe their patients a duty of care to ensure they are given prompt and accurate diagnosis. If you have been misdiagnosed by your medical professional, our misdiagnosis solicitors can help you make misdiagnosis claims.

• Perforation or rupture due to delayed treatment

Delayed diagnosis and treatment can lead to the perforation or rupture of the appendix. There is a 15% risk of perforation within the first 36 hours of the start of appendicitis symptoms. This means that if your medical professional failed to diagnose your symptoms within the first 36 hours due to negligent treatment, then this may lead to the most feared complication – perforation. Perforation of the appendix can lead to an abscess or diffuse peritonitis.

Generally, the more extensive the delay in diagnosis and treatment, the more likely there will be appendix perforation. As a result, surgery should be performed without any delay once appendicitis is diagnosed.

• Blockage of the intestine

If the inflammation around the appendix affects and paralyses the intestinal muscle or the contents of the inflammation causes physical obstruction, blockage of the intestine can occur. One of the key signs of intestinal obstruction is the inability to pass flatus; in this case, a patient should be immediately sent for abdominal decompression to prevent perforation.

• Infertility due to inflammation

Inflammation resulting from the bursting of the appendix can affect several organs, including the fallopian tubes in women. The scarring and adhesions resulting from this can lead to the blockage of the tubes, preventing the sperm from reaching the eggs as a result. If this happens, females will be unable to get pregnant. Although this is an unfortunate situation, the infertility can be reversed and, in some cases, IVF can be used to successfully manage it.

• Life-threatening Sepsis

This happens when the infectious bacteria enter the bloodstream and travels to other parts of the body. The condition can be severe and life-threatening, which is why early diagnosis and treatment is important. Fortunately, it is not so common.

Making Appendix Negligence Claims

If your appendicitis has been misdiagnosed or incorrectly treated and you have suffered health problems as a result, you may be entitled to make a claim. Whether you have suffered appendicitis while traveling or walled off appendix due to medical negligence, the first step is to contact specialist medical negligence solicitors with experience in handling different types of claims.

Medical negligence claims are generally complex, so getting the right legal support early can play an important role in ensuring you receive the compensation you deserve. We aim to keep the appendicitis claims process as simple as possible, offering empathetic support throughout the process to ensure the best possible outcome.

Have you been a victim of appendicitis misdiagnosis or incorrect treatment at the NHS? While the NHS does a very good job and protecting the health of its patients, mistakes can and do happen. So, if an NHS appendix removal has gone wrong, you may be able to make a claim. If your appendicitis has been misdiagnosed by a health professional at the NHS and you are considering suing the NHS for misdiagnosis, our misdiagnosis solicitors can help.

We understand the NHS medical negligence complaints procedure, and can walk you through the process if you have suffered injury due to appendicitis NHS or appendectomy NHS.

When you contact us, we will build a case on your behalf by applying for medical records, obtaining witness evidence and consulting independent medical experts to seek their opinion on the injury you have suffered. We will then contact the relevant healthcare provider to let them know of your concerns and provide details of your claim; we will also ensure the defendant promptly responds to your claim. After receiving and assessing the defendant’s response, we will assess the strength of your claim and negotiate a settlement on your behalf if we believe there are legitimate grounds for making a claim.

We also recognize the medical negligence time limit when helping victims of medical negligence make a claim. Generally, there is a three-year time limit for making medical negligence claims. This time limit begins from the date of the incident or the date you became aware that your medical condition was due to negligent treatment.

If the victim of medical negligence is someone who was under 18 at the time of the negligent care, their parents or litigation friend can make a claim on their behalf before they turn 18. After the age of 18, the person will have three years to make a claim themselves. Determining whether your claim still falls within the medical negligence time limit can be complicated, so we always recommend you seek the advice of a specialist solicitor, no matter how long ago the negligence occurred.

How Much Compensation Can I Receive?

The value of your medical negligence claim will depend on the severity of your injury and its impact on your life. This is divided into general damages, for non-economic losses and potential economic losses, such as pain and suffering, and special damages, covering specific economic losses.

It is also important to note that the compensation award you receive will also be influenced by the experience and skill of your solicitors. At Medical Negligence Direct, the panel of solicitors we work with will consider the facts of your case and help you obtain the maximum compensation you deserve.

Funding Appendicitis Negligence Claims

If you or a loved one have been a victim of appendicitis negligence, it is understandable that you have concerns about funding your claim. At Medical Negligence Direct, we aim to help claimants make the claims process as hassle-free as possible. We achieve this by offering to work with you on a No Win No Fee basis if we believe your claim has a strong chance of success.

The No Win No Fee service, also known as conditional fee agreement, allows you make a claim without paying any upfront solicitor fees. If your claim is successful, a success fee will be deducted from your final compensation award. If it is not successful, you will not have to pay anything.

Why Choose Us?

We work with a panel of medical negligence solicitors who provide an exceptional level of service for victims of medical negligence, no matter how complex their appendicitis claim may be. We have helped our clients secure compensation, earning a reputation as one of the leading solicitor firms in this complex area of law.

Get in touch with us on 0800 644 4240 or fill our free claims assessment form and one of our specialist solicitors will speak with you at your earliest convenience.

Frequently Asked Question About Appendicitis Claims

How much should I sue for pain and suffering?

There is no straightforward answer. When valuing your medical negligence appendix claim, your solicitor will sue for compensation that covers both financial and non-economic losses.

How much compensation does the NHS pay out?

The NHS budgets billions of pounds each year for medical negligence claims. The healthcare service receives 10,000 new compensation claims every year, so you can rest assured you will receive appropriate compensation if you have suffered medical negligence.

What is a good settlement offer?

A good settlement is one that covers the financial losses you have incurred and helps you rebuild your life after experiencing pain, suffering and other non-financial losses.