No Win No Fee Medical Negligence Claims

In most medical negligence cases you can claim for free and keep all of your compensation and pay nothing if you win or lose.

UK Medical Negligence Claim Specialists

We have specialist Medical Negligence Claim Solicitors ready and waiting to help you across the UK.

Not Sure What To Do?

Simply call us or complete the quick enquiry on the right and let us explain your legal rights and your options (at no cost to you and no obligation).

Failure to Diagnose

Failure to Diagnose Correctly is a Failure in Duty of Care

For most people, the notion of clinical negligence conjures up images of botched operations or the prescription of inappropriate medicines. However, clinical negligence can occur before the treatment process has even got underway.

In December of 2009, Amy Carter, a 15 year-old schoolgirl, fell ill. An on-call out-of-hours doctor from the Worcestershire Royal Hospital diagnosed her condition as an attack of sinusitis and prescribed a course of antibiotics before sending her home. Within a matter of days, Amy’s face had severely swollen and she had developed a yeast infection on her tongue. Shortly afterwards, Amy collapsed and was taken to the Worcestershire Royal Hospital, where doctors diagnosed her condition as glandular fever. After forty-eight hours in hospital, Amy was discharged by medical staff and told to take paracetemol and rest.

According to reports, Amy, who by this point had not eaten for nearly three weeks, begged doctors to keep her in hospital, repeatedly stating that she believed herself to be dying. Despite her protests, Amy was discharged. Within two days of leaving hospital, she suffered four heart attacks and major organ failure. Amy died on Christmas Eve.

In the wake of such a devastating event, Amy’s parents are considering suing the Worcestershire Hospitals NHS Trust, saying that Amy died “because her health care was inadequate” and that more could have been done. This is in response to an inquest which decided that Amy died from ‘natural causes’, albeit a “lethal combination of glandular fever and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome.”

According to UK law, Amy’s parents now have two years in which to launch their claim. Medical negligence claims of this sort must be undertaken within three years of the event in question. While this particular case will require a great deal of scrutiny from lawyers and medical professionals, the basic question beneath it all is would Amy have lived longer had her condition been properly diagnosed? If the answer is found to be ‘yes’, then someone must be found to be at fault.

For anyone who finds themselves to be the victim of medical negligence of this sort, the first step is to contact a lawyer, as it is your legal right to seek restitution, usually in the form of compensation. Once a lawyer has assessed your case, you will then be required to produce as much information pertaining to the event as is possible. In addition to your own personal details, you should try to supply the doctor’s name, the name of the hospital where the diagnosis was given and details of any treatment that was given or medication that was prescribed. These details are likely to be examined by medical professionals to try and ascertain the degree of negligence and the effect it has had on the patient or family.

Medical negligence can take a number of forms, from misdiagnosis to disregard to proper procedures. Despite their diversity, they are all linked by one common theme: failure to uphold the duty of care that every patient is entitled to.

Back to Medical Negligence Articles

FREE GUIDE - 7 Questions You Must Ask Before Choosing Your Medical Negligence Solicitor

If you believe you have been the victim of an act of medical or clinical negligence you need our free guide which answers all of the questions that you need answers to before deciding to make a claim, including:

• What are the costs of making a claim for compensation
• The reasons you should or should not make a claim, including protecting other patients
• Whether using a solicitor or a claims company will make a difference to the success of your claim
• The questions you must ask to ensure you choose the right person to help you with your claim

Before you take any further action, take five minutes to read our free guide so that when you do pick up the telephone or fill in an online enquiry form, you know exactly the questions you need to ask to find the right medical negligence claim solicitor for you.

Share This Article With:

• Tweet This
• Delicious
• Digg
• reddit
• Facebook
• StumbleUpon

If you would like 1stClaims’ expert Medical Negligence Solicitors on your side please call us free on 0800 2888 693 or complete our Free Claim Enquiry form now and we will be in touch with you very soon.

Remember, all initial enquiries are completely free of charge and we will investigate all funding options for you.

We are here to help you from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday,
8.30am to 6pm on Saturday and 9am to 6pm on Sundays.

1stClaims is regulated by the Ministry of Justice in respect of regulated claims management activities: Number CRM15909. This registration is recorded on the website www.claimsregulation.gov.uk

“We comply, where applicable, with the SRA Code of Conduct 2011 published by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, and any solicitor [or registered European lawyer] to whom we may refer you is an independent professional from whom you will receive impartial and confidential advice. You are free to choose another solicitor [or registered European lawyer]"

1stClaims Limited - Registered in England and Wales - Reg. Co. No. 06566866. Registered Office Address: First Floor Offices, 119 Station Road, Nailsea, Bristol BS48 1TA - VAT Reg. No. 938 1976 76