Medical and Clinical Negligence Solicitors

Medical negligence is when treatment is provided by a medical professional which falls below the minimum acceptable standard, either causing an injury or making an injury or condition worse.

If this has happened to you, or a loved one, our medical negligence solicitors may be able to help you claim compensation.

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Most commonly, successful claims relate to;

• Misdiagnosis – When conditions should have been diagnosed earlier by a GP or specialist, such as failing to conduct proper examinations or wrongly interpreting or missing conditions on scans and x-rays, leading to inappropriate treatment.
• Birth injuries – To mothers and babies during pregnancy or birth, such as lifelong injuries caused to children such as cerebral palsy and Erb’s Palsy, or avoidable injuries to the mother during or after birth.
• Surgical errors – Such as causing damage to nerves, arteries and organs, by operating in the wrong place, leaving swabs or other items in patients or making anaesthesia mistakes.
• GP Negligence – Such as failing to refer patients to see specialists or have tests, not taking patients’ medical history into account or making prescription errors.
• Hospital negligence – Accident and Emergency departments failing to correctly diagnose injuries or illnesses, or ensure appropriate assessments and scans. Dehydration, malnutrition and bed sores can be due to poor hospital care.
• Wrongful treatment of fractures – The failure to carry out x-rays, properly treat fractures and performed surgery wrongly.
• Optician negligence – Such as failing to correctly diagnose eye problems leading to incorrect or delayed treatment and worsening conditions.

At Hudgell Solicitors we pride ourselves on providing immediate support to our clients, which continues throughout all medical negligence compensation claims to conclusion and beyond. This includes;

• Immediate practical help – Dealing with practical issues immediately at hand, from speaking to employers to signposting to charities and organisations able to offer support.
• Independent medical opinions – If required we will secure independent medical opinions on the treatment provided to you. This can be crucial in securing admissions of negligence.
• Financial assistance – We always seek to agree early interim payments with defendants to provide vital support required, such as for home adaptations or aids and equipment.
• Rehabilitation – We work with some of the country’s best case managers and rehabilitation experts who oversee complete packages of physical, psychological and physiotherapy support.
• Support with a long-term focus –We partner with financial experts to provide advice after settlement to make sure your compensation has the maximum positive, long-term impact.

As one of the UK’s leading medical negligence compensation claims teams, our solicitors have decades of experience in succeeding in even the most complex of cases. We understand you’ll want to know why things went wrong and how things will change, and will work to secure you the compensation you need to make the best recovery possible.

The amount you can expect to receive in medical negligence compensation depends on your specific case details. Factors affecting your NHS compensation can include the nature of your injury or illness, the impact the negligence has on your day-to-day health, your ability to work and your future health, including any long-term care.

Compensation damages may be awarded for:

• Pain and suffering caused
• Loss of earnings and future loss of earnings (such as being at a disadvantage in the labour market / loss of employability and reduction in potential earnings.)
• Cost of surgery or medical procedures required after the negligence
• Adaptions required to your home to help with daily living
• Costs of occupational therapy requirements, such as aids and appliances to assist with daily needs
• Costs of current or future care
• Travel expenses for medical appointments or equipment

There is no set answer, however, our team are dedicated to securing interim compensation payments wherever possible, helping people overcome financial worries and cover the cost of much-needed treatment, rehabilitation and often home adaptations.

We have secured many six and seven-figure interim payments in the most serious of cases elating to life-long injuries, ensuring vital support is provided whilst legal proceedings continue.

Agreed settlements will need to be approved by court, but our expert medical negligence solicitors will guide you through this process.

If aged 18 and over, you will typically have three years from the date that the negligence occurred or from the date that you became aware of negligent treatment.

For under-18s, there is no time limit. However, once a child reaches 18, the standard 3 year claim period comes into effect.

Medical negligence claims rarely need to go to court, and usually only do so in very complex cases.