Medical professionals have a duty of care to patients, which is typically carried out with compassion and professionalism.
However, a lapse in that quality of care, whether caused by human error or a failure of organisational procedure, can have serious consequences. Unfortunately, we see daily news stories of just such events, and some of them are local. These can occur in a range of healthcare settings, including clinical, medical and dental. We call this ‘Clinical Negligence’.
The causes of negligence may be many and varied, including individual malpractice, pressure on healthcare services and the growing number of treatments available, whether privately or on the NHS. Whatever the reason, we are now seeing an increased caseload of such matters, ranging from birth injury claims to claims against care homes for mistreatment, as well as many other types.
Impact.
If you are affected by clinical negligence, you can seek compensation for reasons including physical and mental suffering endured as a result of negligence and the negative impact on your quality of life; time you’ve been unable to work or loss of earnings; further medical treatment and care, and other costs.
At such a time, you may feel vulnerable and unsure of your best course of action, especially as you may be faced with a life-changing set of circumstances. Given that the process can be complex and lengthy, pursuing any claim for compensation requires empathy, support and commitment on the part of your solicitor.
When do you have a claim?
The first thing you should know is that there are the four key points that need to be proved when making a clinical negligence claim. First, it must be proved that the doctor or other healthcare professional owed a duty to take care of the claimant and not cause injury (which is often quite easy to prove). Then, it must be proven that there was a breach of that duty to take care. These are followed by the need to prove that that breach of duty has caused harm to the claimant and that damage or other losses have resulted from that harm. Proving these four points can often be quite a burden and you are best placed to deal with this if you have the support of family or friends and a caring legal professional.
Sharing the burden.
At Harold Stock & Co our clinical negligence solicitors are highly sensitive to the needs of victims and their families. They will guide you through every step of the journey. We set out first to listen to your needs, support you in making the right decisions and then, if appropriate, help you towards seeking the compensation you deserve. This is of great importance since we may need to cater for your lifelong treatment or care.
To have a confidential conversation with one of our solicitors about the issues you’ve experienced and discuss whether you want to make a claim, email Karen Kenyon our clinical negligence specialist on kk@haroldstock.com or call 01457 835597.
