Accident and emergency (A&E) negligence claims

Types of accident and emergency claims

Accident and emergency claims are usually linked to the diagnosis stage or the treatment itself. If either of these have made your health worse, you could make a no win, no fee claim through our personal injury solicitors.

Misdiagnosis claims

Medical misdiagnosis claims range from minor to severe. In the more severe cases, doctors may fail to refer patients to relevant specialists and they could potentially miss signs of conditions such as cancer.

Misdiagnosis can happen for a number of reasons, particularly with the strain on the NHS’ accident and emergency department. These include:

• Delayed treatment
• Missing key diagnostic tests
• Missing symptoms
• Misreading test results
• Inadequate patient examinations.

Some of the most commonly misdiagnosed conditions are aortic aneurysms (ruptures in the heart), fractures, meningitis, twisted organs and cauda equina syndrome. We can help you to gather evidence to prove you were misdiagnosed and that you suffered as a result.

Speak to our specialist medical negligence no win no fee solicitors today about your right to claim compensation.

What should I do if I think I’ve suffered accident and emergency negligence?

If you think you’ve suffered accident and emergency negligence, you need to call our personal injury solicitors as soon as possible. We’ll start by giving you a free consultation and can advise you on what evidence you need to support your claim. We are looking for two things – ‘causation’, which is the injury itself being a result of your visit to accident and emergency, and ‘breach of duty’, which is evidence of negligence.

How do I make an accident and emergency claim?

To make an accident and emergency claim, you should call our expert solicitors as soon as you feel well enough to do so. We’ll then take you through the following steps:

1. Gathering evidence – we can help you to gather evidence to support your claim including medical records, doctors’ notes, photographs and witness statements.
2. Letter of claim – we’ll send a letter of claim to the NHS and prepare a settlement figure based on your personal injuries, any financial losses, and changes to your life long-term.
3. Response – the NHS legally has four months to respond, during which we will finalise your settlement figure. If they accept responsibility, you will be awarded your compensation minus our fees.

Accident and emergency claims can take many months if not years to settle, but this is because we are doing all we can to get you the largest compensation amounts possible. We will keep you informed throughout the case. We work on a no win, no fee basis, which means you’ll only pay if we’re successful.

What are the time limits for an accident and emergency negligence claim?

You generally have three years from the date of your treatment to make an accident and emergency negligence claim. There are exceptions to this. For example, if you were diagnosed with a condition that you can prove was linked to your A&E treatment, then you would have three years from the date of diagnosis.

If you were under 18 at the time, then you can have a ‘litigation friend’ represent you until your 18^th birthday, or you can represent yourself from ages 18 to 21. If your injury left you mentally incapacitated, for example, if you suffered brain damage, then there are no time limits.

Why choose Express Solicitors?

Our expert A&E solicitors offer more than 20 years’ experience handling medical negligence claims just like yours. We specialise in taking on the cases that others turn away – as well as first-time claims. We’ll listen to your case sensitively and go above and beyond to get you the settlement you deserve.

Start your no win, no fee A&E compensation claim with Express Solicitors today.