I have written about my personal medical negligence story before on this blog, so I don’t want to bore you with it again, but I thought today I’d share some facts with you that will help you decide, if you have a claim or not.
When I was considering taking legal steps, I had 101 questions and spend ages crawling the internet for useful information. I found bits here and bobs there, but there was no website that had all the information I needed in one place.
What is medical negligence?
We speak of medical negligence or clinical negligence when the treatment of a medical professional as well as dentists, physiotherapists, psychologists and others falls below the required standard and causes you an injury. That means, if they have done something that they shouldn’t have done or something that was not required or suitable for you as a patient, you have the right to claim for compensation.
What type of claims are there?
There are different types of medical negligence clains that you can make depending on the mistakes that were made. Generally, you differentiate between the following: hospital negligence claims, dental negligence claims, birth injury claims, medical accident claims, MRSA claims and cosmetic surgery claims.
Why ask for compensation?
Medical negligence can cause not only trauma and psychological suffering (potentially for the rest of your life), but also financial loss. Therefore, you can regard compensation as a way to repay you for your pain and suffering as well as financial losses because you couldn’t work, had to cancel a holiday or maybe need to alter your house to make it fit for your needs, e.g. you might sit in a wheelchair and need wider doors or struggle to climb stairs and night a stair lift to name just a few examples. You can also ask for compensation to cover travel costs, parking, medical equipment, care provided by friends and family or external help like a cleaner or gardener.
I feel bad about suing someone. Should I really do it?
Don’t forget that you were left with an injury that might affect you for the rest of your life. You might not suffer immensely now, but you might develop pains and illnesses at a later point. Also remember that medical negligence cases are important as they remind medical professionals and clinics to ensure the highest possible standards during medical procedures and your stay at hospital. Plus, no individual will be left out of pocket. All hospitals, trusts and practitioners will have insurances that pay out in cases of negligence.
I don’t know where to start and I still have questions!
Act quickly and get in touch with medical negligence specialist like Leo Claims or other specialists near you. Some cases become void after 3 years, so it is essential that you claim as soon as possible. A specialist solicitor will often offer a free consultation and also be able to answer all your questions and help you proof that you indeed have a valid case.
This is a promotional post, but I hope it was helpful and gives you some useful information. Image from Tim Samoff via Flickr.
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