Anaesthetic negligence claims

Consequences of anaesthetic negligence

The term “negligence” is used when a professional has failed to do something. So, in the context of anaesthesia, the person may have failed to seek consent or make sure you’re not being given the wrong anaesthesia. Alternatively, they may not have monitored you correctly while you were under anaesthesia. This can lead to the following consequences, often resulting in NHS negligence or surgical negligence claims:

Brain damage

This is one of the most serious causes of anaesthetic negligence compensation claims. Brain damage can happen if medical professionals did not set up equipment properly, leading to a lack of oxygen in the brain. It can also happen post-op, if the person is anaesthetised for longer than they need to be.

Anaesthetic awareness

This condition is rare, and happens when a patient wakes up during surgery. The effects can be extremely psychologically damaging, while the physical pain can be unbearable. Our expert medical negligence solicitors can make sure you’re covered for both physical and mental trauma.

Nerve damage

This can happen if anaesthetic is injected into the spinal cord in error, or when nerves are damaged by needles. In serious cases, it can cause life-changing disabilities.

At Express Solicitors, our medical negligence solicitors will settle your no win, no fee claim based not only on your injury, but the long-term impacts it has on your life.

How do I prove anaesthetic negligence?

When it comes to settling anaesthetic negligence claims, your solicitor has to prove two things:

• Causation – that you were physically harmed as a result of a medical professional’s actions
• Negligence – that the medical provider failed somehow in their duty of care.

We can help you to gather this evidence by looking at medical records, witness statements and diaries of your case. While anaesthetic negligence is one of the most difficult compensation claims to prove, it’s not impossible. For example, we can help you to gather information from other doctors.

You can also act on someone else’s behalf. This applies to under-18s, those who are ‘mentally incapacitated’ (for example, if they’ve had a brain injury) or those who have died due to negligence. Often, anaesthetic negligence claims are disputed, and they can take longer than others to settle. This is because the healthcare provider has four months before they even have to legally respond to your claim.

We will guide you through every step of this process, helping you to get the compensation you deserve. We can also help you if you’re claiming anaesthetic negligence on somebody else’s behalf – for example, somebody under 18 or somebody who has suffered brain damage.

You may also qualify for ‘interim payments’. These are early payments of your final compensation amounts, which can help you to pay for additional costs such as medical treatments while you recover. Remember, our medical negligence claims operate on a no win, no fee basis, so you’ll only pay a fee if we win.

What are the average compensation amounts for an anaesthetic negligence claim?

There are no pre-set compensation amounts for anaesthetic negligence claims. However, according to the NHS Litigation Authority, the average settlement amount for medical negligence claims is £50,000. Please be aware that compensation amounts can vary enormously, and we judge each claim on a case-by-case basis. Your claim will be judged on three things:

• ‘General damages’ – the physical harm you have suffered
• ‘Special damages’ – the financial losses you’ve had to overcome, such as time off work
• Lifestyle changes – such as adaptations to your home due to disability.

Our expert solicitors go above and beyond to make sure we consider every element of your case, no matter how small. As a guideline, the Judicial Board offers the following figures for injuries to specific body parts:

• Internal organ injury could be as high as £146,000
• Injuries causing paralysis can range from £39,000 to £322,000
• Injuries resulting in brain damage or sensory loss could be as high as £322,000.

Remember – this is just for general damages. Your no win, no fee claim will also look at time taken off work or any bonuses lost, expenses for adaptations, treatment and travel, and psychological damage.

What are the time limits for making a anaesthetic negligence claim?

You generally have three years from the date of your injury or diagnosis to make a claim, but we advise you contact as us soon as possible to get the most accurate evidence. The two exceptions to this rule are:

• If you’re claiming on behalf of a child, you can claim anytime up to the 18^th After this date, they have three years to represent themselves.
• If you or the person you’re claiming for is ‘mentally incapacitated’ – that is, unable to claim for reasons such as brain damage, there is no time limit.

How to make an anaesthetic negligence claim

When you feel well enough to do so, you should start your anaesthetic negligence claim by phoning our solicitors for a free consultation. If possible, we’ll ask you to gather some evidence in advance, but if not, we can help you to gather the following:

• Email statements from you and any witnesses
• Medical reports from an independent specialist, which we can provide
• Photographs where possible to show the extent of the damage
• Copies of your latest hospital records
• Any supporting evidence, such as documentation showing you were given the wrong anaesthetic.

This will help us to prove not only that you were harmed (causation) but that your medical provider failed in their duty of care (negligence).

What does the claims process involve?

Once we have your evidence, we can send in a trusted medical specialist to review your case. This specialist will write up a report outlining the medical professional’s ‘breach of duty’, as well as a causation report, outlining the physical damage.

After we receive this report, we will send a ‘Letter of Claim’ to the NHS or private healthcare provider. By law, they have four months to respond to this. During this time, we will calculate how much we believe your claim to be worth, and keep you informed throughout the process.

If the healthcare provider admits liability, we can award your compensation relatively quickly. However, if they dispute it, we may have to take your case to court.

How long do anaesthetic negligence claims take?

Unfortunately, anaesthetic negligence claims take longer than other personal injury claims because they are very difficult to prove. The healthcare provider has four months to respond, so you should expect a minimum waiting period of four months.

Your claim may also take longer if you were very badly injured, as we may need extra time to gather evidence. Please be assured that we will keep you informed and may even be able to arrange early compensation payments while you’re waiting.

Generally speaking, the NHS are quicker to respond than private healthcare providers. This is because the NHS has a dedicated body that deals with compensation claims, called NHS Resolution. We aim to settle all claims within a few months, but in some cases, they can take up to two years.

Our claims process may take a little longer than other law firms – but this is because our medical negligence solicitors are fighting to get you every penny.

Why choose Express Solicitors for your claim?

At Express Solicitors, our regulated, expert anaesthetic negligence solicitors offer more than 20 years’ experience settling claims just like yours. We go above and beyond to make sure every factor of your case is covered. Anaesthetic negligence injuries can have devastating impacts on your life and we understand this – so we’ll deal with your claim sensitively and professionally.

Whether you’ve been turned away by other firms or just want to make a new claim, contact the medical negligence experts at Express Solicitors for a no win, no fee settlement.