Claiming compensation for a medical mistake

When undergoing medical training, doctors learn how to conduct rigorous treatments and procedures, and must abide by high professional standards for as long as they practice. There is no room for mistakes in medicine but, unfortunately, some patients do fall victim to needless errors made by healthcare professionals. If you have been adversely affected by a medical mistake, you may be able to claim compensation for any harm caused.

While other forms of negligence can be caused by misjudgments, such as an incorrect diagnosis or a failure to investigate symptoms, medical mistakes could describe the basic errors that can be made in the course of procedures or treatment. Often, these mistakes occur through entirely preventable missteps, which can only make them more upsetting and frustrating for the victims.

When medical professionals breach their duty of care and your health suffers as a result, you can be within your rights to claim compensation for any harm caused. We know how difficult it can be for victims in the aftermath of medical negligence, which is why we use our sensitivity and expertise to guide our clients through the claim process.

How might a medical mistake happen?

In a medical negligence claim, a medical mistake generally describes an error made during surgery or another treatment procedure. Generally, here in the UK, we can expect a high level of surgical expertise given that we have trained specialists in all kinds of different disciplines. However, mistakes made by surgeons during a procedure could cause them to do more harm than good.

Some examples of medical mistakes can include:

• The incorrect removal of tissue or organs;
• Leaving a foreign object in the body or in a wound;
• Aggressive or incompetent surgical techniques that cause pain and injury;
• Accidental incisions;
• Anaesthetic mistakes.

These are just a few examples, and there can be many more instances. The best thing to do is to contact the team for free, no-obligation advice.

Am I eligible to claim compensation for a medical mistake?

Where we believe that a medical mistake made by your doctor or a healthcare worker constitutes a breach of duty, and if your health has been adversely affected as a result, you could be eligible to claim compensation on the grounds of medical negligence.

For the first part of your claim, we can look to recover General Damages, which can include compensation for any pain, suffering and loss of amenity caused. For example, if your doctor used unnecessarily aggressive techniques in open surgery, and you have been left with chronic pain and a prolonged recovery, you could be compensated in proportion with these factors.

In this same example, if you were to incur losses and expenses due to factors such as time off work, or increased pain medication costs, these could be recovered under Special Damages.

Make your compensation claim today

Medical compensation claims can be complex, involving a considerable amount of research and investigation to establish exactly where the blame may be. Using our years of experience, we can handle all these difficulties, smoothing over the bumps in the road to ensure the claim process is stress-free for you.

If you are considering making a medical negligence claim, please make sure to contact us for free, no-obligation advice on your case. We will usually be able to tell you in minutes if you have a claim, and we may be able to offer No Win, No Fee representation to protect you from losing out if your claim is unsuccessful. Simply call us today or register your details for a call-back.