If you’ve been harmed or injured as a result of medical malpractice you might be reluctant to pursue it further. This could be because you don’t believe you really have a case, or you feel daunted by taking on a big institution such as the NHS. But no-one should suffer the hurt and distress that can be the result of medical malpractice and that is why you need to get professional advice. Here is our short guide to medical malpractice to help you understand why you might have a case.

What is medical malpractice?

Medical malpractice occurs when a healthcare professional or provider makes a mistake or fails in their duty of care making a condition worse or causing you an injury. It may be they omit to take appropriate action, neglect to administer an appropriate treatment or give substandard treatment that harms, injures or causes someone to die.

Medical malpractice occurs through medical error, either in diagnosis, medication dosage, health management, treatment or aftercare.

The five most common types of medical malpractice include:

• Misdiagnosis – When the medical professional fails to diagnose an illness.
• Surgical errors – Errors that cause harm, injury or death during surgery.
• Birth injuries – Harm caused during childbirth.
• Failure to treat – When a medical professional fails to treat you.
• Prescription drug errors – When the wrong medication is given.

How to tell if you have been a victim of medical malpractice

Sometimes deciding where medical malpractice has taken place isn’t straightforward. We might make excuses for our medical professionals or feel that in some way we ourselves are to blame, but misdiagnosis, poor treatment and surgical errors do occur, and your suffering should not be ignored.

You might be a victim of medical malpractice if:  

• Your treatment hasn’t worked or/and you continue your condition does not improve.
• Your condition actually gets worse, or another condition develops as a consequence of the treatment you received.
• Another medical professional gave a different medical opinion.
• Your doctor doesn’t take your concerns into consideration.
• You’ve been told that an error was made when you underwent surgery.
• Your health declines as the result of poor aftercare.

What do you need to make a medical malpractice claim?

Contact us as soon as you are able to, so that we can start working on your medical malpractice case as soon as possible. 

You can make a complaint to the hospital or healthcare provider before making a claim so their own investigation can be made into what went wrong and they can determine if anyone is responsible for the outcome.

You’ll also need to allow your solicitor to access your medical records so medical malpractice can be proved.

How much compensation can you get for medical malpractice?

This all depends upon the case. Medical malpractice settlements can be anything from around £1,000 to multi-million-pound settlements. 

If you would like to discuss a medical malpractice claim do not hesitate to get in touch with us today or visit our Medical Negligence page for more information.