Making a medical claim: what to consider

Medical problems are stressful and often utterly exhausting. But when you seek help for a condition and then find that you’re left in an even worse position, it can result in a real sense of betrayal.

This is why medical negligence is one of the worst breaches of trust. But more than that, it can cause significant health problems, as well as real emotional and financial troubles. And these can take a long time to get over.

After an experience of medical negligence, you may find yourself wondering what to do.

Do you want to take action?

Making a medical claim is one way of holding those responsible to account. This makes it a good option if your priority is obtaining justice for what happened to you. It allows you the opportunity to tell people what happened to you.

A medical negligence claim can also encourage the organisations responsible for your health problems to address what went wrong. This can then help those in charge to prevent this negligence taking place again, therefore stopping it happening to anyone else in the future.

There are also other aspects to think about when considering a claim. For example, will this course of action help you get the peace of mind you may be searching for? And will it help you get back on your feet – physically or financially?

What are the financial implications?

After suffering from medical negligence, there is a real possibility that you’ll find yourself affected financially. This is because you may find that you have to pay for further medical treatments or you may have to take time off work to recover. And in many cases, if you’re not working, you’re not earning.

That could leave you in a precarious financial position. And there is often no simple way of getting out of that. After all, you can’t simply go back to work if you’re not feeling physically well enough.

If you’re worried about the cost of pursuing a claim, however, you have options. You could take on the services of a specialist no win no fee medical negligence solicitor, for example. This means you won’t have to pay out for the claim upfront. And you’ll only have to pay your lawyer’s fees if your claim is successful, taking the financial burden off you.

How to prepare for a claim

Making a medical claim is often more straightforward than you may think. One act that will help make the process even simpler is to have all of your evidence together in one place. This makes it easier to recall the facts when discussing your case with your solicitor.

This means you should keep all records of your case, starting from the first visit for the initial condition you were seeking help for. If you’ve had additional medical examinations, you should ensure you have the records of these. This is important when it comes to proving how the negligence you suffered negatively affected you.

It is also advisable to be completely honest and open with your solicitor. This will help avoid any surprises further down the line, giving you the best chance of securing the compensation that could help you get back to your former self.

Image: copyright seoterra.