What can you do if an injury is made worse by medical negligence?
It’s tough enough to suffer a serious accident, but when your injuries are made worse by negligent medical treatment then you may be forgiven for feeling that the fates are conspiring against you.
It is surprisingly common for medical negligence to occur when injuries sustained in an accident are being treated. Our lawyers have dealt with many such cases and are experienced in advising those who have been unfortunate enough to suffer this double jeopardy.
Where an injury has been made worse by medical negligence then it may impact on any legal claim you intend to pursue in relation to the accident that caused your original injuries. Insurance companies will usually seek to limit their responsibility if a victim’s injuries have been exacerbated by negligent medical treatment subsequently received.
The courts have recently confirmed in the case of Jenkinson v Hertfordshire County Council [2023] that defendants who are being sued for accident compensation are entitled to raise negligent medical treatment as a defence. This can raise difficult issues for the victim’s legal team who may need to join the negligent hospital or NHS trust to the court proceedings.
Where the initial injury was not anyone’s fault, then the individual can still pursue a medical negligence compensation claim for the extent to which their medical condition has been made worse by the substandard treatment they received.
If you have suffered an injury that has been made worse by medical negligence then you can contact our free legal helpline for expert guidance. We specialise in both accident claims and medical negligence law and are recommended by the independent Legal 500 in both these fields. We are therefore perfectly qualified to give you the specialist legal guidance you will need.
To find out where you stand simply call us on 0333 888 0404 or send an email to [email protected].
