Terminal illness misdiagnosis claims

What is a terminal illness misdiagnosis claim?

A terminal illness misdiagnosis claim is a type of medical negligence claim in which a healthcare provider has failed in their duty of care. Generally, medical misdiagnosis claims fall into two categories: failure to spot an illness, or spotting signs of an illness too late.

In the case of a terminal illness misdiagnosis, the results are obviously devastating. You or a loved one may feel as though you’ve been cheated, or not given the chance to make the most of your time left. You may even feel that there could have been a chance to change circumstances if your symptoms had been diagnosed quicker.

In rare cases, doctors may wrongly tell a patient a diagnosis is terminal – which can cause mental health problems and potentially lead to reckless behaviour. Whatever your circumstances, our sensitive, expert lawyer team is here to help you get the compensation you deserve.

Whilst it may never have been possible to find a cure for a terminal disease, you may feel that your loved one’s life expectancy or quality of life could have been improved if they had received more appropriate medical care.

For example, if a healthcare professional does not exercise reasonable care and fails to diagnose a serious condition like a brain aneurysm, despite the warning signs, then any subsequent deterioration in their condition could result in a claim for clinical negligence.

What do I need to make a terminal illness misdiagnosis claim?

When you make a terminal illness misdiagnosis claim, you need to be able to prove two things – that you suffered physical or psychological harm, and that this was caused by your healthcare provider. We can help you with this by advising you on the evidence to gather to support your claim.

You should be able to make a claim if:

• Doctors missed symptoms when you visited your healthcare provider
• Doctors dismissed symptoms as less serious than they were
• You were treated for an illness you did not have
• You were wrongly told you have a terminal illness

In every case, we can help you to find this evidence and prove the devastating effects to your physical and mental health. We can also help you make a no win, no fee claim on behalf of a loved one. Our trained solicitors will listen to your story and only proceed if you are comfortable.

Deciding whether to bring a clinical negligence case in these circumstances can be a difficult decision.

If you think you might want to bring a claim at some point in the future, it is vital you seek professional legal advice as soon as possible.

This means that if and when you decide to bring a claim in the future you will be able to do so within the legal time limits.

What can I claim for?

Like all personal injury cases, you can claim for ‘general’ and ‘special damages’. We will leave no stone unturned to get you the largest settlement possible, including:

• Your physical pain (general damages)
• Your emotional trauma (general damages)
• Loss of earnings, such as time off work (special damages)
• Financial losses, such as travel or medical treatments (special damages)
• Adjustments to your home or car (special damages)

How much is my compensation worth?

Terminal illness misdiagnosis claims are devastating and can result in substantial pay-outs, particularly if they lead to the loss of a loved one. However, there are no set compensation amounts. We calculate your claim based on factors such as:

• The seriousness of the damage, such as life expectancy
• Considerations for long-term care
• Psychological damage to you and your family
• Long-term implications for you and your family

If the misdiagnosis resulted in physical damage to a specific part of your body, the Judicial Board Guidelines offer figures based on historical cases. For example:

• Injury to internal organs can be worth as much as £140,000
• Loss of senses such as blindness can be worth as much as £214,000
• Brain damage can be worth as much as £322,000

We understand that no amount of money will get your life back, but we will fight to get you the compensation you and your family deserve. Contact Express Solicitors to get your terminal illness misdiagnosis claim started today.

How do I make a terminal misdiagnosis claim?

Medical misdiagnosis claims are slightly more difficult than other personal injury claims, but please don’t panic. Our expert solicitors are here to take you through every step.

1. Start by giving us a call on behalf of yourself or a loved one. We’ll ask you for details of the diagnosis and any medical evidence you may have. If you don’t have everything during this free consultation, don’t worry. Our trained medical negligence solicitors can source proof such as medical history, correspondence with your doctor, photographs of your injury and witness statements.
2. After gathering the evidence, we’ll send a medical advisor to examine you if you’re claiming on behalf of yourself. We understand that you or a loved one may be terminally ill, so we’ll make this as comfortable as possible. This advisor is looking for two things – ‘breach of duty’ (proof the healthcare provider was responsible) and ‘causation’ – physical damage. This advisor will send us a report and we will send a ‘Letter of Claim’ to your healthcare provider.
3. If you’re claiming against the NHS, they legally have four months to respond to your claim. We will keep you informed throughout this waiting period, and calculate your compensation, letting you know how much we think you could claim.
4. If the healthcare provider admits fault, you will receive the compensation, minus our fees. If they do not, we may have to take the healthcare provider to court. This happens in less than 1% of cases, and we will always keep you informed.

Our medical misdiagnosis claims usually operate on a no win, no fee basis, so you’ll only pay our fees if we win. On the rare occasion that you don’t qualify for no win, no fee, you may benefit from Legal Aid help.

Please don’t be alarmed if your compensation case takes many months. During this process we are chasing doctors for evidence, writing letters of claim and calculating your compensation. We may also be able to offer you early compensation payments if you will benefit from these, such as to pay for ongoing medical treatment.

Why choose Express Solicitors?

At Express Solicitors, we understand the incredibly sensitive nature of a terminal illness misdiagnosis. We will listen to your story sensitively and fight for your compensation, drawing on our 20 years of experience settling cases just like yours.

We specialise in taking on the cases nobody else will, and we’ve settled hundreds of millions in compensation claims as a result. To get the compensation you deserve, contact our expert legal team today.