Medical Negligence Solicitors Gloucester

Medical Negligence Solicitors in Gloucester

When we have any health challenge of any kind, we call on our GP or any medical professional for help. It is our belief that with their help we can only get better. We rely on medical practitioners for the best possible medical care and when they fall short of acceptable medical standards, the consequences can be tragic.

Medical officers have a duty to safeguard the health of their patients and when they act negligently, it could lead to devastating outcomes. In such circumstances, victims of medical negligence are entitled to make claims for compensation to ease the impact of the injury or trauma. Although compensations do not take away the effects of the unfortunate incident nor reverse it, it however provides an opportunity for the individual to get his or her life back on track. The compensation will also help the individual access medical care which is vital towards making as much recovery as is possible and where this is not possible, neither the individual, the family nor other dependents have to suffer financially.

Medical Negligence Definition 

Medical Negligence refers to actions or inactions of medical professionals towards patients under their care which causes them harm, pain, trauma or exacerbates an already existing medical condition. It also refers to negligent care by healthcare providers to their patients which falls below acceptable standards of medical practice.

These may come in the form of misdiagnosis, mistakes in drug administration and prescription, surgical errors among others.

The effects of medical negligence cannot be overemphasized as some may be irreversible leaving the patient with permanent disabilities. Some however may be corrected with further medical procedure. 

Examples Of Medical Negligence

Medical Negligence can occur in various forms. If you or your loved one has experienced any of the following and you suffered harm as a result, you may just have a strong case for medical negligence.

• Medical Misdiagnosis including missed diagnosis, and delay in diagnosis
• Failure to warn you about the risks of a particular medical treatment or procedure
• Failing to get your informed consent before carrying out a particular procedure.
• Wrong or delayed treatment
• Errors in drug prescription
• Failing to promptly admit and attend to you in a case of emergency leading to further deterioration of your condition
• Failure of your healthcare provider to recommend further tests when necessary
• Incorrect reading and interpretation of test results
• Failing to refer you to a specialist for further assessment
• Surgical errors including leaving objects inside the patient’s body, operating on the wrong part of the body, unnecessary nerve damage or injury to internal organs
• Exposing you to drugs, objects or situations that trigger allergic reactions due to failure to adequately study your medical records and history
• Poor monitoring of your progress or otherwise while in admission 
• Infections to injury due to lack of proper care and medical attention
• Development of pressure sores as a result of leaving you in one position for too long
• Poor monitoring or mother and child before, during and after childbirth causing harm either or both.

Medical Negligence Claims Cases We Handle In Gloucester

We handle the following medical negligence claims in Gloucestershire:

• GP Negligence Claims
• Ovarian Cancer Misdiagnosis Claims
• Hernia Mesh Compensation Claims
• Birth Injury Claims
• Care Home Negligence Claims
• Orthopaedic Negligence Claims
• Dental Negligence Claims
• Brain Injury Negligence Claims

NHS Trust Statistics Showing Number Of Medical Negligence Claims Made Against The NHS in Gloucester (2017-2018) And Total Settlement Amounts

Proving A Medical Negligence Claim

Our specialist team of Medical Negligence Solicitors covering Gloucestershire will assist you prove that you or your loved one is indeed a victim of negligent treatment. To do this, it must be established that;

• The healthcare provider had a responsibility to care for you
• The healthcare provider breached or failed in that duty of care;
• You suffered pain, suffering or your medical condition was worsened as a result of such negligent treatment.

We will also require that you make available certain documents which will be used as evidence to prove your claims. We will also assist you to gather these documents by writing to relevant bodies such as the hospital management requesting for your medical records and access to other tests results relevant to the case. we will require document such as;

• Detailed statements of what transpired
• Medical records including tests and scan results
• Pictures
• Witness statements which may come from family or friends
• Proof of financial losses and expenses made as a result of the injury suffered
• Medical Reports after proper medical examination from an independent medical expert in the field of interest

Making Complaints For Negligent Treatment In The NHS

The NHS gives patients and their families the opportunity to make complaints and express their displeasure over the quality of care they received while in their facility. The NHS Patient Advice and Liaison Services (PALS) service makes available to patients guidelines for writing such complaints. You can find the nearest NHS PALS service on their website.

The next stage of complaints if you are not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint is to write to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) who will make further investigations into the matters raised in your complaints.

NHS Medical Negligence Claims Procedure

The procedure for making claims for medical negligence are outlined as follows;

• Speak with your specialist clinical negligence solicitor.
• Fund your claim
• Gather evidence to prove your claim
• Submission of “letter of claim” to the defendant (NHS)
• Negotiations between both parties
• Payment of settlement fee

How Much Compensation Will I Get For My Medical Negligence Claims?

Settlement amounts for medical negligence claims are not pegged at a certain figure. They are different in each case. We can however give you a range of what you can get as compensation using our medical negligence claim calculator. 

Generally, you can make claims for;

• General Damages: this covers for the type, location and severity of injury suffered. It also covers the time needed to make a recovery if possible.
• Special Damages: this covers for out of the pocket expenses and other financial losses as a result of the traumatic experience. This includes loss of earnings, pension, and estimated future losses. It also covers costs of medical appointments, rehabilitation and accommodation adjustments.

Medical Negligence Claims Time Limit

As a rule, you have three years from the date of the negligent treatment or from the date you became aware of it to make a claim. In a case involving a child, the three-year limit begins to count from the individual’s 18th birthday. 

Where the individual is incapacitated in some way and unable to make claims, he may be allowed time until he is able to make claims.

Medical Negligence No Win No Fee Solicitors In Gloucester

We put premium value on the overall wellbeing of our clients above all else and do not want them to give up seeking a deserved compensation on the grounds of expensive legal fees. In the light of this, our Specialist Negligence Solicitors in Gloucestershire undertake cases of medical negligence claims under a No Win No Fee Agreement. This protects you from paying any upfront legal fees and from making any payments even if the case isn’t successful. In other words, you have an opportunity to seek justice without any financial risks to you.

Contact An Expert Today

At Medical Negligence Direct, we have expert Medical Negligence Claims Solicitors in Gloucester who have been working with victims of medical negligence over the years and securing hugely satisfying compensation payouts for these persons.

Our lawyers are friendly and are highly professional in the discharge of their duties ensuring you are well represented legally for best possible outcomes. We offer free initial consultation sessions where you can speak with our lawyers and receive legal advice on how to proceed with your claims.

We also support our clients in other ways notably ensuring that during the claims process, they have access to adequate medical and rehabilitative care as required for their recovery. We understand the damaging effects of medical negligence in the lives of patients and that compensation will do a whole lot of good; therefore, we do our very best to ensure that the process is smooth and doesn’t add additional stress to an already suffering individual.

Our Lawyers are accredited with the Action Against Medical Accidents (AvMA) Panel and The Law Society’s Clinical Negligence Panel. We therefore encourage you to reach out to us as soon as possible to make those claims as you have a limited time to do so.