Medical Negligence Solicitors
Medical negligence claims, also called Clinical negligence, can arise when a patient wishes to purse a legal action against medical professionals when mistakes have been made which have led to a worse outcome. This could be due to a misdiagnosis, incorrect treatment or mistakes in surgery. It is a complicated area of law, and it is therefore important that you use a team of specialist lawyers who can help you pursue your case and help you navigate the complex processes involved and obtain the maximum level of compensation for you.
Why choose us?
At Redkite Solicitors we have a specialist and friendly team which is led by a Legal 500 Leading individual and also recognised as a Notable Practitioner by Chambers and Partners, both leading legal directories. We are also members of The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL), the and Headway Approved Solicitors Panel, you can rely on our medical negligence solicitors to be with you every step of the way, providing strategic advice and a helping hand through this difficult time. Our team covers all our offices across Wales and The South West and where required can come and see you at home. We will listen to what you have to say with empathy and compassion and if we can proceed with a claim for you will aim to do so as quickly as possible and obtain you the compensation you are entitled to.
What is Medical Negligence?
If you think you have suffered harm from a doctor, nurse or similar medical professional then you would need to show that their care fell below a reasonable standard, and that the lack of care or treatment caused you a worse injury. Sometimes the treatment can be below an acceptable standard but not cause you a worse outcome and if that is the case you may not be able to bring a legal claim. Treatment could include taking a longer than reasonable time to make a diagnosis, not monitoring you correctly during pregnancy causing you and or your baby an injury, giving you incorrect medicine and many other instances.
Claims process
The sooner you contact us the better as we can start investigations. If we consider that there is a case to investigate, we will normally instruct independent medical experts to consider the circumstances surrounding your care and if it was considered to below an acceptable standard we would normally obtain further medical evidence to establish what injury or injuries have been caused by that. Sometimes this may mean several reports need obtaining initially depending on the facts. If this all supported your case, we would also then need to obtain at least one report on your condition and what it may mean in the future. Sometimes there are other reports also needed. We will ensure your claim is thoroughly investigated.
We will support you during this process to obtain compensation for you and if the Defendant admits responsibility we can request interim payments for treatment and rehabilitation if appropriate.
Time Limits
Usually you should to start court proceedings for a medical negligence claim within three years of finding out you’ve received negligent treatment (you may not realise straight away but only after your injury or illness becomes worse). We need time to investigate your case before issuing court proceedings so the earlier you ask us to investigate the better.
There are 2 exceptions to this:
- Children – medical negligence claims involving a child can be made any time before your child turns 18. On your child’s 18th birthday the three year rule comes into effect, so a claim needs to be started before they turn 21.
- Mental Capacity – if a person lacks the capacity to make a claim themselves, there’s no time limit for making a claim.
How long do claims take?
This will depend on a number of factors which include the severity of your injury and whether the responsible party accepts blame. It is usual for claims to take around a year but more complicated claims can take a few years or in the most series cases it can take longer.
No win No fee
We offer our services on a no win-no fee basis, meaning you can freely pursue your claim without having to worry about paying legal fees up front. If you wish to make a clinical negligence claim but are concerned about finances, speak to us about making a no win-no fee claim. This type of claim allows all Claimants a fair chance of obtaining compensation regardless of their financial situation. Simply put, if we do not manage to secure compensation, you will not be required to pay legal fees. There are no up front costs involved, and you will only be expected to pay the legal fees if the ‘no win-no fee’ claim is decided in your favour and these fees will be made clear to you at the start of your case.
Contact us
For a free initial consultation about your medical negligence claim, call us on 0333 014 4455 or contact us online and we will get back to you as soon possible