When you’ve been let down by a medical professional, it can have a huge impact on your physical and emotional health, as well as financial repercussions. The process for making a claim against medical negligence can feel like a daunting task to clients, with too many steps and hurdles to overcome before reaching the end goal.
But having someone on your side who understands the legal process in depth, and can empathise with what you’re going through, can make making a claim feel like a much more manageable task. This is where specialist solicitors come in and why clients should be made aware of the differences medical negligence experts can provide.
Why should clients use a medical negligence expert?
While it’s not a legal requirement to instruct a specialist medical negligence solicitor to make a claim, clients who have experienced negligence are likely to want their claim handled by someone who understands the nuances of the sector. In the same way that a classic car owner wants a mechanic with experience of their specific vehicle over a general mechanic, having a specialist on your side can pay dividends in the long-run and will help you achieve better results.
Being a victim of medical malpractice is emotionally taxing and no-one in that position wants to then have to deal with legal difficulties for longer than necessary. Having an experienced solicitor who has worked on similar cases in the past and understands the various aspects and legal responsibilities that those in the medical field are obliged to adhere to can help the claim go through much quicker and more smoothly.
Medical negligence claims aren’t a quick process, and they can take months or even years to complete, depending on the complexity of the situation or the severity of the negligence. For claimants, knowing that their claim is in the hands of someone who can handle the case and understands what information needs to be provided to complete the claim as quickly and efficiently as possible provides peace of mind.
The intricacies of medical negligence claims
Medical negligence encapsulates a variety of potential issues, from a GP’s failure to diagnose a condition to being prescribed the wrong medication or an organisation not keeping accurate medical records, resulting in a diagnosis being missed.
As part of the claim process, the claimant needs to demonstrate that there is a connection between the level of care they received from the medical professional and their condition or injury. This might be through witness statements, medical records, correspondence showing complaints or financial evidence, or a combination of documents.
Proving this link requires experience and an in-depth knowledge of medical care, which a skilled medical negligence solicitor provides. They will know which evidence will best serve the case for optimal results, as well as the best routes to these documents when contacting healthcare organisations, which will speed up the process considerably.
Medical negligence versus personal injury solicitors
Medical negligence covers a wide range of situations and scenarios, and it applies to a broad selection of healthcare providers, organisations and settings. Clients may need to make a medical negligence claim against their optician, dentist, GP or midwife, among myriad other healthcare professionals who have caused emotional, physical or financial harm. When it comes to choosing a solicitor, it’s a question of expertise, which is why a specialist with experience offers greater value for such claims.
Personal injury claims have their own complexities that professionals in this area need to contend with, but personal injury and medical malpractice are different issues, so clients need to seek out specialists depending on their circumstances.
The experience in understanding medicine and medical records is instrumental in achieving a successful outcome for a claim, which is where medical negligence solicitors have an advantage over personal injury professionals.
Final thoughts
Medical malpractice can have a long-term detrimental impact on patients and their loved ones. While it’s not possible to undo the emotional and physical harm caused by negligence on the part of a medical professional, it may be possible to recoup some of the financial damage and to have justice that the negligence has been acknowledged. A skilled and experienced medical negligence solicitor can help you get your life back on track after such a difficult time.
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