A&E negligence claims
If you or a loved-one have visited an A&E department with a medical problem and because of a medical professional’s error your injury or illness worsens or you suffer an additional injury or illness, you are entitled to ask whether you could claim compensation to help you cope with consequences.
Despite everyone’s best intentions, errors and missed diagnosis can happen in a busy and overstretched Accident and Emergency (A&E) hospital department. If you experience a medical mistake whilst attending A&E you could be entitled to compensation to help support your recovery.
Fortunately, in the vast majority of cases you will receive excellent care within A&E. A patient can expect a high standard of medical care and often lifesaving treatment.
But A&E departments are high pressured and busy environments. Doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals are under pressure to treat people quickly and reduce waiting times.
An A&E department can also go through tough periods especially during the winter months with viruses and flu impacting on underfunded and short-staffed units. Under these circumstances and in rare cases medical professionals can make a mistake and the consequences can be life changing.
If you or a loved-one have visited an A&E department with a medical problem and because of a medical professional’s error your injury or illness worsens or you suffer an additional injury or illness, you are entitled to ask whether you could claim compensation to help you cope with consequences.
Common A&E compensation claims
While mistakes in A&E are rare there are common conditions that the Birchall Blackburn Law team of experts deal with when errors are recognised. These key issues include:
– Failure to diagnose broken bones or fractures
– Failure to refer a patient onward for specialist treatment
– Failure to prevent pressure sores or bedsores from developing
– Failure to diagnose and treat pressure sores or bedsores
– Misreading x-rays or other scans
– Failure to spot a stroke or heart attack
– Failure to diagnose a spinal injury cause by compression (e.g. cauda equina causing numbness or no feeling in the bowel or bladder)
– Delayed or wrong diagnosis
– Lost test and scan results (e.g. X-rays) causing a person to suffer delayed diagnosis and treatment
– Failure to act on a test or scan result (e.g. abnormal blood test)
– Failure or delay in diagnosing deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
– Failure to recognise symptoms of chronic myeloproliferative disorder
– Delay in diagnosing erythromelalgia (or Mitchell’s disease)
– Failure to diagnose osteomyelitis leading to amputation
Unfortunately, the above examples are not an exhaustive list. A&E medicine is diverse and complicated. If you suspect that your care during a visit to A&E has not been a professional standard and you feel your injuries or illness is worse as a result, then contact a specialist clinical negligence solicitor.
What do I do next if I believe I have received poor medical care in A&E?
It is vital for you to speak to a specialist clinical negligence solicitor as soon as possible. A good solicitor will give you free initial advice, in confidence and without any obligation. They will talk to you about what has happened to you, whether you have a case for compensation and how to proceed.
It is also an opportunity for you to question the solicitor about their expertise. Don’t hesitate to ask them about their Clinical Negligence experience and how many A&E compensation claims they have dealt with in the past and are dealing with now.
Birchall Blackburn Law has decades of experience supporting people through a clinical negligence claim for compensation. You can simply email or calls us and we will give you initial free and confidential advice about claiming compensation, with no obligations.