Medical negligence is an understandably distressful time for you and your family. As well as general medical negligence claims – there are other specialist claims that can be made against a medical practitioner or professional. As there are a number of different claims that can be made – it’s highly important to get in contact with a medical negligence solicitor should you require representation.

 

We are medical negligence solicitors specialising in medical negligence in Newcastle. Our expertise and experience in supporting a wide range of different medical negligence claims allows us to support you and our clients in making specialist claims. This article discusses a number of different specialist medical negligence claims as well as when you are able to make a claim during these specialist cases. For more information, please get in touch using an online contact form on our website or telephone now.

 

Making a Medical Negligence Claim

 

To make a medical negligence claim against a medical practitioner or medical professional – you need to prove that injuries sustained happened specifically due to the fact that negligence occurred. At some point during your claim, you will also need to provide evidence from a medical practitioner unrelated to the case to support your case. Should a claim be successful, damages in the form of financial compensation will be awarded. These costs relate to a range of issues such as quality of life being affected, costs acquired because of your injuries, damage to clothing and other costs relating to your case. 

 

Cauda Equina Syndrome Sustained Through Negligence

 

Being a rare condition, Cauda Equina Syndrome is usually a surgical emergency. This condition is usually caused by something compressing the nerve roots that are below the spinal cause. If this condition is left untreated – eventually it will cause complete paralysis below the waist. Studies suggest that in 50% of cases it will be too late after the first 4 to 6 hours of a severe central disc prolapse resulting in complete Cauda Equina Syndrome. If you have suffered Cauda Equina Syndrome due to a negligent medical procedure then you may be able to make a claim for medical negligence compensation.

 

Misdiagnosis & Delays in Treating Cancer – Your Rights

 

Misdiagnosis of cancer differs slightly from other medical compensation claims because of the fact that cancer would likely occur regardless of the negligence of your medical practitioner. There may be cases for example in which early warning signs of cancer were detected and not treated until developing a later stage of cancer. As some types of cancer are particularly responsive to early treatment – this can be highly and understandably stressful for you and your family. When initial signs or symptoms are missed, the opportunity for early treatment can be lost, and you may be denied the best chance of returning to health. You may be eligible to make a compensation claim if you have had a delay in or misdiagnosed cancer.

 

Misdiagnosis of a Stroke & Stroke-Related Medical Claims

 

The signs and symptoms of suffering a stroke are well recognised in the medical world however strokes are one of the largest causes of disability in adults and are one of the leading causes of death in the UK. The brain requires oxygen and nutrients provided by blood to function properly. Once flow is restricted – brain cells begin to die. Symptoms include:

 

• Slurred speech
• Confusion / Disorientation
• Drooping face
• One-sided weakness

 

If a medical practitioner fails to diagnose or treat a stroke then this can lead to a delay in treatment. A medical practitioner may misdiagnose the symptoms as a migraine for example when the patient needs urgent medical care. If you have suffered from a stroke due to failure in duty of care or through negligence due to a medical practitioner then you may be able to make a claim to claim compensation.

 

Making a Medical Negligence Claim for Sepsis

 

Sepsis is also known as blood poisoning and is a life-threatening condition. Sepsis arises when the body responds to infection but causes injury to its own organs and tissues. Severe cases of sepsis will cause poor organ function or insufficient blood flow around the body. Sepsis shock is low blood pressure due to the condition that does not improve after fluid replacement is carried out. Sepsis can cause organ failure and death if it is not immediately treated. 

 

Sepsis is not currently understood by medical professionals as to why the body attacks itself and the infection is most commonly bacterial but can also be viral, protozoan or fungal. The infection can start anywhere in the body but then spreads throughout the body. As Sepsis carries many common symptoms to flu, a chest infection or gastroenteritis – mistakes can be made in diagnosis. Early detection and treatment of sepsis is vital so you or your family may be able to make a compensation claim due to negligence by a medical practitioner.

 

Negligence Experienced at a Doctor’s Surgery or GP

 

As your GP is often the first point of contact for a mental or physical health problem – they are trained to have a broad knowledge of many different conditions and early indicators of diseases or medical problems. There are over 1.3 million consultations that occur every day and the fact that some appointments now have to be made online – mistakes or delays in early diagnosis can be made. All of the various medical negligence issues that may occur can be misdiagnosed at the beginning stage of consultation so there are a number of different medical issues in which you may encounter negligence.

 

Advice When Making a Specialist Medical Negligence Claim

 

As discussed, it’s always highly recommended to get in touch with a medical negligence solicitor if you are facing a potential medical negligence issue. In terms of making a claim, you have up to 3 years to issue court proceedings from the date that you first became aware or could have possibly have been expected to know that you have caused an injury due to negligence or malpractice. This could also be the date of the mistake or sometime later if you were not informed that the mistake occurred. If you do not reach this date – you are usually unable to take a claim further. However – in some cases exceptions are made but you should seek legal advice at the earliest convenient opportunity.

 

If You Suspect You Have Suffered From Medical Negligence – Get in Touch

If you have suffered from medical negligence in Newcastle, get in touch with our team today. We also represent clients across the UK so we can support you during your medical negligence claim. We have adapted to the pandemic and appreciate that you may wish to arrange for an online consultation or telephone consultation. We can accommodate for this and will support you during this difficult time. We are experts in a wide range of general and specialist medical negligence cases as well as other forms of compensation claims such as asbestos related claims and industrial claims.