Sunderland Medical Negligence Solicitors & Expertise

If you believe that your injury resulted from an inferior standard of care, then talk The Medical Negligence Experts. Our North East area and Sunderland medical negligence solicitors have a high success rate of obtaining maximum compensation for victims of medical negligence.

When you’re ill, you don’t have any choice but to put your faith in the professionals to help you recover. No medical procedure or treatment is without risk, too. But a betrayal of trust by those who must help you can be worse than devastating: it can be fatal. We specialise in medical negligence claims, supporting you at the right time to get the compensation you deserve.

We know that some people may be unsure of their rights or apprehensive about what it means to claim compensation. You may fear people will think you’re greedy, or that claiming compensation will jeopardise your future care. But none of these things is true, in fact, so there’s no real need for such concerns.

Claiming Compensation for Medical Negligence in Sunderland

On the surface, a compensation claim may appear to be only about money. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll see that it protects victims from losing out financially because of unfair treatment. It enables them to access necessary resources like private medical treatment. Treatment, moreover, that will help them to recover from their injury or illness faster.

Equally as important, compensation is the legal validation that a healthcare system fails you. It gives you and your family closure, plus the ability to put your accident behind you. Also, you can move forward with confidence that you have don’t need to struggle alone.

What makes medical negligence different from personal injury claims

Medical negligence claims are unique in that:

• you need to prove not only that you have an injury because of someone else’s error, but;
• that they act in a way a similar professional would not.

Accordingly, if you receive treatment from another person in the same role, you might not suffer the injury.

In addition to proving your injury as a result of medical negligence, there are time limits to consider. You also need to submit your claim:

• within three years of the date of injury or;
• the date of knowledge, whichever is most recent.

In most cases, the date of damage and the time of knowledge are the same. But there are some occasions where an injury is not immediately obvious. Additionally, some may hide the link between injury and negligence: ergo, it only comes to light at a later date.

This three-year deadline remains immovable, however. Because of the preparation time for a successful claim, seek expert legal advice at the earliest opportunity. That’s true even if this means you’re still recovering from your injury.

The sooner you talk to The Medical Negligence Experts, the earlier we can intervene. In turn, we can get you the rehabilitative support you need to make the best possible recovery.

Even if you only suspect your injury may be due to medical negligence, contact us today. We can give you a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our trained legal advisors. They will assess the circumstances around your injury. Then, they let you know if you’ve grounds to request compensation and what you need to do next.

No Win No Fee* Medical Negligence Claims in Sunderland

The majority of our medical negligence claims in Sunderland occur on a No Win No Fee* basis. Everyone should have access to top-quality legal support and representation.

Public funding is not available for those claiming compensation for medical negligence. So unless you have an existing insurance policy to cover your legal expenses or you are paying privately, a No Win No Fee* agreement makes sense.

Instead of you carrying the financial hazard that comes with starting a claim without guarantee of a successful outcome, we will shoulder the risk, waiving our legal fees if your claim is not successful. For instance, if you win your claim, you then you pay your lawyer a “success fee”. You and your lawyer agree on a success fee at the start: usually, it’s a percentage of the compensation you win.

In addition to being affordable and risk-free, a No Win No Fee* agreement gives you reassurance. In short, our Sunderland medical negligence solicitors will work their hardest to get you maximum compensation. Because if you don’t get compensation, then we don’t receive any payment either.

Call or use our contact form to arrange a free legal consultation. We’ll talk to you in more detail about your funding options and which one may be the best for you.

Claiming Compensation on behalf of Another Person

There are times when we are contacted by a close friend or family member of a victim of medical negligence. We regularly work with those who have been appointed as litigation friend for a victim who is not able to make a claim themselves, either because they are a legal minor or because they lack the mental ability.

Litigation friends can be a:

• spouse or partner;
• a parent or guardian;
• a close relative or friend, or;
• professional appointed by the family to act in that capacity.

Whoever it is, they need to obtain approval from a Court to hold the position, showing that they will act in the best interests of the victim and have no conflicting interests.

There is no difference in the way we support a litigation friend to the way we work with a claimant. Our focus remains on obtaining maximum compensation in the shortest possible time so that the victim has everything they need to make the best possible recovery.

If you are not a litigation friend then we may not be able to discuss some issues with you; however, we will certainly do everything within the law to help you assist your loved one with their claim.

Call today for more information if you want to raise a claim in the name of another person.

Settling a Compensation Claim out of Court

We are successful in obtaining a settlement for nearly every claim we handle without having to go to court. Litigating a claim – submitting it to a Court for a judge to assess and decide – is the last resort. In short, it can be stressful for the claimant and can extend the processing time by up to a year.

We will only recommend litigation of your claim once all avenues of negotiation have failed. It is possible that the other party continues to deny negligence when we are confident we can prove it. On the other hand, they may also refuse to pay an appropriate amount of compensation. We always aim for settlement out of court, but we’ll ultimately protect your right to a fair amount of compensation.

At The Medical Negligence Experts, we understand that the prospect of going to court may be daunting. But our medical negligence solicitors in Sunderland will be with you every step of the way. We make it our job to support you and act as your advocate and legal representation.

Hearing Dates

Receiving a hearing date is no guarantee you will have to go to court. Often the knowledge that they will have to defend their stance in court is enough to convince the other party to agree to reasonable terms. They know that if a judge rules in your favour – and we will only advice litigation if we believe they will – the other party may have no say in the amount of compensation they have to pay you.

Indeed, the likelihood that your claim will be heard by a judge is small. But it’s important that you’re always confident in the accuracy of the information you provided. In essence, because you may have to testify to this in court.

Medical Negligence Claims FAQ

We know it’s likely you have questions about the process for making a claim and how it affects you, so contact us today. We can arrange a time for you to speak directly with a legal advisor who specialises in medical negligence so you can ask them anything you need to know about your specific circumstances.

To help, here are the answers to some of the questions we most frequently hear from people considering whether or not to apply for payment of damages.

Can I make a claim?

First: do you believe that your injury was the fault of the person responsible for your care. Also, that had you been treated by another medical practitioner or in another facility that you would not have been injured? If yes, then you may have legal grounds to claim compensation for medical negligence.

Please contact us regarding clinical negligence claims, and our access to specialist solicitors will kick off your education on the claims process. For surgical errors, birth injury or other medical negligence, reach out sooner rather than later.

I think I am the victim of medical negligence. When should I talk to a lawyer?

You don’t need to wait to talk to our medical solicitors in Sunderland. If you suspect your injury is due to negligence, then contact us and we can help you find out if this is true and, if so, what to do next.

Will claiming compensation affect my care?

A successful compensation claim requires evidence that you receive unfair treatment and that you were a victim. Neither your ongoing care nor future treatment will be affected.

Not least because it is illegal to discriminate against someone who has sought compensation after being injured through medical negligence. In our experience, however, victims often lose faith in their care providers and prefer to be seen by someone else.

This is entirely your choice.

How long will my compensation claim take?

The average processing time of a medical negligence claim is between 12-18 months. It can take longer if your claim goes to court, or if your injury requires ongoing medical treatment or has implications which doctors are unable to determine accurately, for example, in the case of a victim with brain damage.

How much compensation will I receive?

Your lawyer can give you a good idea of how much compensation you can expect once they have assessed your claim. Damages are broken into two parts. The first is General Damages, which is paid according to the type of injury you have. The Judicial College publish regularly updated guidelines to help solicitors assess compensation.

The second part, Special Damages, takes into account any financial expense or loss you incur because of your injury. This can include anything from prescription costs and travel expenses to get to medical appointments. Additionally, there’s loss of earnings and pension, and cost of private nursing care or perhaps even your partner’s time.

How do I prove my care was negligent?

Your medical records will help to show that your care was negligent. We can also arrange for these to be assessed by an independent medical expert. This can prove that another medical professional is unlikely to act in the same way.

If relevant, witness statements may also help to support your case. Additional help can arrive from the outcome of an official complaint if you raise one. You usually do this with the body responsible for the running of the facility.

Your successful claim starts with a call to The Medical Negligence Experts. In short, we can find out more about your injury and how it affects you and your family. We appreciate that one professional you trust has let you down. Therefore, we take care to make sure you feel support and respect from our Sunderland medical negligence solicitors.

The sooner your claim starts, the sooner you will receive the compensation you deserve. Accordingly, that will let you move on with your life.

*conditions apply