Negligent Soft-tissue Infection Diagnosis and When to Claim Compensation
Negligent medical care of the soft-tissue infection, necrotising fasciitis, may justify a claim for compensation if the patient suffers a poor long-term outcome.
Negligent care of necrotising fasciitis
Necrotising fasciitis and fournier's gangrene, a version of the infection specific to the genital and perineal region, are, thankfully, fairly rare. However, the disadvantage of this is that medical professionals may not be familiar with the condition, the symptoms and the urgency of the necessary response.
Necrotising fasciitis is a medical emergency and any delay in either diagnosis of treatment can prove fatal. Every delay is likely to cause the patient to suffer a worse outcome such is the virulence of this appalling infection.
If a delay in diagnosis means that the patient's long-term outcome is significantly worse than would have been the case with a prompt diagnosis and timely surgical intervention, the patient may be entitled to make a claim for compensation for the consequences of the delay.
Delays in diagnosis may be due to one of the following circumstances which may be regarded as negligent:
- A failure to recognise the significance of the symptoms, leading to a misdiagnosis and a delay in treatment
- A failure to carry out an examination, leading to a delay in diagnosis
- A failure to seek a second opinion or to refer the patient for further investigation in a timely manner.
When to make a claim
It may be appropriate to make a claim for compensation if your medical care was negligent in some way, such as a misdiagnosis, and if the negligence caused you to suffer debilitating symptoms and consequences which would not have been the case with an acceptable level of care.
The best first step is to speak with a solicitor who specialises in medical negligence compensation. They will be able to advise you as whether or not you may have a valid claim.
However, it is important to be aware that initiating a claim for compensation for medical or clinical negligence is associated with a legal deadline. The claim needs to be issued with a court within three years of the date of the alleged negligence. A specialist medical negligence lawyer will need plenty of time before this deadline in which to investigate the validity and value of your claim, so don't delay if you think you may have a claim. Contact a medical negligence solicitor now.
Glynns Solicitors
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