Claiming Compensation for a Medical 'Never Event'
Depending on the nature of the mistake, the long-term impact of a medical 'never event' can be utterly catastrophic, depriving the patient of essential physical function. If this has occurred to you or a family member, you may wish to consider making a claim for compensation.
Compensation claims
If an individual is affected by substandard medical care, they may suffer significant financial losses as well as the physical and psychological impact of the negligence. If this is the case, the law entitles the person to make a claim for the losses which would not have been incurred had the negligence not taken place. For example, if you are unable to work and earn an income due to negligent medical care, a compensation claim would take that financial loss into account.
However, it is worth bearing in mind two important facts. One is that any claim for compensation for medical negligence needs to be initiated within three years of the date of the alleged negligence. The second is that compensation claims for medical negligence are extremely complex and it is best to use the services of solicitors who are specialists in this field of law.
'Never event' medical negligence
Whilst certain errors or occurrences within a medical environment are recognised as risks of the procedure taking place, a 'never event' is something which should absolutely never happen.
Examples of 'never events' include the following:
- Unintentionally leaving a piece of medical equipment inside a patient following a medical procedure
- Providing the incorrect medication
- Carrying out a procedure to the wrong part of the body (for example the wrong eye or the wrong knee)
- Carrying out the wrong procedure or using an incorrect implant etc.
- Carrying out a procedure to the wrong patient
Impact of a 'never event'
In some cases, the long-term impact may be slight. For others, however, it can be life-changing. If a piece of medical equipment is left inside the body of a patient, for example, it has the potential to cause significant problems. If an incorrect implant is used during orthopaedic surgery, it may leave the patient with worse problems than before the surgery.
Errors of such magnitude may leave the patient facing significant financial losses and may justify a claim for compensation.
Speak to a specialist
If you or a family member are struggling with the impact of a significant 'never event', contact Glynns Solicitors, specialists in medical negligence compensation. One of our team of expert lawyers will be very happy to discuss the suitability of making a claim.
Please call us free on 0800 234 3300 or complete our Online Enquiry Form.
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