Ask the Expert: How Much Could You Claim?

How Much Could You Claim?

How much could you claim with an NHS medical negligence case? First, let’s analyse where you’re compensation goes, in essence.

News of NHS financial woes is frequent, often a result of the build up of personal injury claims and that negligence occurred so often. Either the government blames external influences for their deficit, or the opposition blames the government for financial mismanagement. One of the areas highlighted as a growing cause of concern for the NHS is the amount of money spent on medical negligence claims.

How is this fair?

The aim of a medical negligence solicitor is not to ‘bleed’ the NHS dry. Rather, the job of the solicitors we work with is to represent victims who’ve had their lives turned upside down – in many instances permanently.

They obtain legal and financial recognition for unfair and harmful medical care. That way, victims can move forward with their lives without being held back by their injuries.

How Much Compensation for Medical Negligence?

One of the first questions people want to an answer for is “how much could my medical claim be worth?” While it’s hard to answer, it’s also a particularly vital question to ask. You need to know whether making a claim is the right action for you. As hard as your medical negligence lawyer will work to limit the impact an ongoing claim has on your life, the process of claiming compensation can be intrusive, particularly if your injury is serious and ongoing.

Before they can tell you how much to expect, your solicitor must gather evidence to prove:

• the nature of negligence, and;
• the impact your injury has had on your life.

In general, you divide compensation payments into two parts and calculate each one separately.

General Damages

General damages look at the physical implication of your injury, and the pain and suffering you have endured. There are industry guidelines solicitors and judges use to tabulate compensation amounts for different types of injuries. Tabulation of these figures come annually from the Judicial College i.e., ‘The Judicial College Guidelines’.

• They base it on the most recent claims & payments.
• Then, they publish them. For example: Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases.

As a general rule: the more severe your injury and worse the long-term implications, the more compensation you’ll receive.

Medical negligence claim amount for special damages

Special damages compensate you for any financial harm done to you as the result of the injury. In their most basic form, special damages can reimburse the cost of reasonable private medical treatment.

For example, say you need to see a physiotherapist or plastic surgeon. In addition, you need to have a nurse come to your house to change your dressings while you’re recovering. Your medical negligence solicitor can also claim special damages if the accident affects your earning power. Either in the:

• short term if there is a shortfall between statutory sick pay and your normal salary, or;
• if you have to reduce your working hours or even change your career completely due to your injury.

An example of this is a catering woman in her 60s. She had to retire early after a knee operation fail. The surgeon’s negligence left her unable to stand for long periods without suffering significant pain.

It made working in her current field impossible. Her successful suit for compensation covers her:

• loss of earnings, but also;
• the shortfall in her pension, because early retirement meant she could no longer make several years of contributions.

We treat every compensation claim on an individual basis to ensure each victim receives appropriate payment for their circumstances.

Hip Replacement Compensation Amounts

Joint replacement surgery is a common medical procedure in the UK. Figures from The National Joint Registry for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man (NJR) show that from April 2003 until December 2016, more than 860,000 hip replacement operations were carried out in the UK.

Of these, over 24,000 needed a second operation directly because of the primary operation. Meanwhile, 3,500 require more than one secondary operation.

As with all claims, hip replacement compensation amounts depend on the nature and effect of an injury claim calculator. You should seek legal advice for an accurate estimate of what is a reasonable award for you.

Maternity clinical negligence compensation awards

Maternity negligence compensation payments account for over a quarter of compensation paid by the NHS between 2012/17. This is due in part because these claims can take years to resolve. Furthermore, the extent and impact of damage are not always obvious until a child develops.

For example, one of the most frequent conditions resulting from medical negligence is cerebral palsy. The signs can go without notice until a child misses development milestones between their third and fifth birthdays.

It can take a long time to identify and assess the extent of maternity injuries. So it makes sense that this type of claim can take the longest to resolve.

Injuries you notice quickly and get treatment without leaving lasting health issues are faster to resolve. It will benefit you significantly to instruct a medical negligence solicitor with proven success in handling claims similar to yours. Their specialist experience and negotiation skills ensure you receive maximum compensation in the shortest possible time.

Compensation Claim Processing Times

To give your compensation claim the best chance of success, get advice from an expert medical negligence solicitor as soon as you suspect your injury was due to negligence and avoidance.

There’s a time limit, too (three years from the date of the injury or when it connects with negligence). But it’s always easier to evidence a fault when you can conduct an investigation right away. As the claimant, the duty to prove negligence is yours. The sooner your legal team asks relevant questions and collects evidence, the more positive the outcome is likely to be.

If there’s doubt about the influence negligence has on your injury, you may not receive the maximum compensation.

The average compensation claim for medical negligence takes between 15 and 18 months to resolve, so start today by arranging for a free, no-obligation discussion with a medical negligence expert about your circumstances.

How to Start Your Claim for Medical Negligence With us

The first step when starting a medical negligence claim with us is to get a FREE claim assessment. If successful we will get you in contact with a specialist solicitor to determine whether you have the legal right to request it. They will help to ascertain whether negligence was the cause of a contributing factor in your injury.

Evidence must prove negligence causes your injury. Also, it must show the impact it has on your life both physically and financially. Your solicitor will notify the other party of your intention to request payment of compensation.

How much could you claim with medical injury solicitors?

Your solicitor will negotiate with the lawyers representing the other party. The goal is to reach an agreement on a fair and appropriate amount of compensation.

If the other party denies liability or refuses to compensate you appropriately, you can submit your claim to a court. The judge will review the evidence from both sides and make a legally binding ruling.

When you accept an offer of compensation, you also agree that you cannot seek further compensation. For instance, if, in future, it becomes apparent the impact of your injury was worse than you thought. Alternatively, you might also have a chance to receive more money.

Get in touch

Start your compensation claim for medical negligence today by talking to The Medical Negligence Experts. We can arrange for you to have a free conversation with an agent. In turn, they can answer your queries and give you the information you need to decide how to proceed.

The majority of claims that the Solicitors partnered with The Medical Negligence Experts are done on a No Win No Fee* Conditional Fee Agreement, so get in touch and find out more.

*No Win No Fee: Typically, customers pay 25% including VAT of the compensation amount that is recovered by our third-party law firms, although this is subject to your individual circumstances and the actual fee may be more or less than this. Termination fees may apply if you do not keep to the terms of the agreement.