Medical Negligence Solicitors
Trust Our Lawyers for Your Medical Negligence Claim
Our medical negligence solicitors provide legal support that you can trust. If you have been injured due to a medical accident, our lawyers can help get your life back on track.
Expert medical negligence solicitors
Osbornes Law has been helping individuals and families for nearly 50 years. Our medical negligence lawyers are accredited by and are members of the leading charity campaigning for patient safety and justice, Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA). The Law Society also accredits us as experts in medical negligence. The team is led by Stephanie Prior, who practised as a nurse for many years before becoming a lawyer. Her experience in medicine and knowledge of the NHS are vital to securing our clients the correct level of compensation and ongoing treatment and rehabilitation.
Our lawyers have helped clients pursue a medical negligence claim following:
If you have been affected due to poor medical treatment, contact our London solicitors today, and we will help establish whether you may bring a claim.
Do I need medical negligence solicitors near me?
No, we advise clients throughout the UK regarding making medical negligence claims. Take a look at our client stories to understand the type of successful claims we have made.
The team at Osbornes are medical negligence claims specialists and accredited by the leading clinical negligence panels to prove it. We’ve been fighting our clients’ corner for nearly 50 years and have a track record of securing multi-million-pound settlements for clients whose lives have been devastated by the most serious injuries due to substandard medical care.
Our promise to you:
- We only represent the injured party, not healthcare providers, so there’s never a conflict of interest
- We provide a free initial consultation and case review with no obligation to make a claim
- We will help you navigate the challenging NHS complaints procedure so you get the answers you need – as well as the compensation you deserve
We know you will have questions before deciding to begin a claim. Please call or visit us in our Camden or Hampstead offices for a free, no-obligation consultation; we’ll gladly help you.
What is medical negligence?
We all expect the highest level of care from our healthcare providers. Sadly, mistakes do happen that cause harm to patients. Sometimes, treatment is so poor that it may be deemed medical negligence. Medical negligence is where an injury is caused or an existing condition is made worse due to poor care provided by medical professionals. These include injuries that occur while being cared for by the NHS or private healthcare providers.
If this is the case, a compensation claim can be pursued. We will answer all your questions, including how to bring a claim for medical negligence against the NHS or private clinics, the claims process and what you can expect from your medical negligence lawyer. You will learn more about our expert medical negligence solicitors and their experience. You can also read about some clients and families that we have been able to help.
The terms medical negligence and clinical negligence mean the same thing. We usually use medical negligence in these pages, but it can also be read as clinical negligence.
How do I make a medical negligence claim?
Medical negligence claims can be complex and challenging, so it is vital to consult with an experienced medical negligence solicitor to guide you through the process effectively.
- Contact our specialist medical negligence solicitors, who will assess your case and advise whether you have a valid claim. We’ll meet you face-to-face before taking the case on. The appointment can take place at your home, in hospital or at our offices, whatever is best for you.
- Following our meeting, we’ll advise you about the prospects of success, the potential value of your claim and how long it will take. We’ll inform you of progress and consult you about all decisions relating to your case.
- If we all agree that Osborne Law should take your case on, we will discuss the funding of your claim, including whether to run your claim under a No Win No Fee agreement.
- Our solicitors will help you gather all the relevant evidence required to support your claim, including medical records, reports and documentation related to your treatment and injuries.
- We will assign a team to your case and ensure that you have direct access to a case worker who will keep you informed of the progress of your claim and consult you about all decisions relating to your case.
Medical Negligence FAQS
What types of medical negligence can I claim for?
- Medical misdiagnosis – where a condition gets missed and goes undiagnosed or when a diagnosis is wrong.
- Mistakes during surgery – include incidents where the wrong operation was performed, infections caused by poor hygiene and cosmetic surgery that has led to disfigurement or scarring.
- Prescription errors – you have been prescribed the wrong medication, incorrect dosage or together with another drug that shouldn’t be taken together.
- Negligent clinical advice – failure to warn of risks, including making alternative treatments clear so that you could make an informed decision.
- Pregnancy and birth injuries – sustained by the mother or baby during pregnancy, labour or after birth.
What is the time limit for medical negligence claims?
Medical negligence claims are subject to strict time limits which if missed, means you could lose the opportunity to pursue your case forever. This time limit is known as the limitation period.
We recommend against judging the calculation of your limitation period without expert advice from a specialist solicitor.
The law governing the medical negligence limitation period is set out in The Limitation Act 1980. In short, you must issue a Claim Form at Court within three years of the date of negligence or the date you first knew about the negligence, whichever is later.
Calculating the limitation period is fraught with complications, so it is important to take legal advice as soon as possible to bring a claim. There are particularly complex rules for assessing the “date of knowledge” of the negligence.
The three years can slip by quickly, and delay increases the risk of losing vital evidence. Therefore, we recommend consulting a solicitor, ideally no later than 12-18 months after the incident of negligence, to avoid the problems caused by delay and to give your claim the best chance of success.
Are there any exceptions to the medical negligence limitation period?
- If someone has passed away as a result of medical negligence, the limitation period is calculated to expire three years from the date of death of the injured person or the date of the Personal Representative’s knowledge, whichever is the later.
- The limitation period for any claim brought by a child (defined as those under the age of 18) does not begin to run until the date of their 18th birthday which effectively means that they have until their 21st birthday to issue court proceedings.
- Where the person bringing the claim lacks mental capacity, there is no time limit for issuing court proceedings. Assessing capacity is not always straightforward and solicitors have to tread carefully when determining whether their client lacks the capacity to make their own decisions or not.
- The Court has power to exercise its discretion to allow court proceedings to be issued outside of the limitation period, but this is reserved for exceptional cases and there are very specific criteria set by the courts to trigger the Court’s discretion to allow a claim to proceed out of time.
How long does a medical negligence claim take?
It is very difficult to exactly say how long a medical negligence claim will take from start to finish. It depends on the nature of your case, the complexity of your case, how long it takes to obtain all the evidence (medical records, witness statements, medical reports etc).
It also depends on the stance the Defendant takes. The NHS Trust’s will usually report to the NHSLA, the governing body of the NHS Trusts. A lot will depend on the attitude of the NHSLA and or the NHS Trust.
If legal proceedings are needed, they must be issued at Court no later than 3 years after the date of your injury or 3 years from the date that you knew that the treatment/care you received was negligent. This may happen at a later date, i.e. when you are seen by another specialist, who then diagnoses your injury and explains the cause of the injury to you and explains that it was related to previous medical care that you received.
How we can help
We can provide advice on any tertiary advice and assistance that you may require during the life of your claim. If the Defendant admits liability for your injury we can apply for an interim payment of damages on your behalf to assist in speeding up the litigation process.
How much compensation will I receive when making a medical negligence claim?
Medical negligence compensation can be claimed in the following forms.
General Damages
The amount of general damages will depend on the severity of your injury, the effect it has had on you and how long it takes you to recover. We will need you to be seen by an independent medical expert so that we can obtain a medical report on your injury and its affects.
We need a medical report on the full effects of your injuries to enable us to calculate the value of your claim. If we have a medical report out assessment of the value of your claim will be more accurate than if we do not
Special Damages
The amount of special damages will depend on the expenses that you have incurred as a consequence of your injury such as travel expenses, prescription charges, the value of care provided to you by relatives/friends, any medical fees, loss of earnings, damaged possessions. It is helpful if you keep receipts of the expenses you incur as it will make it easier for us to prove your losses.
Past and Future losses can be claimed but interest will only be paid on past losses once proceedings have been issued on your behalf. Interest cannot be claimed on future losses.
If you were partly to blame for your injury, your compensation may be reduced to reflect your share of the blame. Although, this can but rarely happens in medical negligence cases.
Sometimes if a claim is disputed, the Defendant will offer reduced compensation as a compromise and to entice early settlement. If this happens, we will advise you on whether the reduced sum should be accepted, or whether your case should proceed to court.
Welfare benefits
The Defendant is under an obligation to repay to the government any social security benefits which you have received as a result of your injury up until the date of the compensation award.
The Defendant can deduct these from your compensation on a “like for like” basis. For example if you have claimed benefits from the state because of you were unable to work because of your injury a claim will be made on your behalf for your loss of earnings and any benefits paid to you by the state will be repaid on your behalf to the government by the Defendant and you will receive compensation for your loss of earnings.
How we can help
We can provide you advice on any tertiary advice and assistance that you may require during the life of your claim. If the Defendant admits liability for your injury we can apply for an interim payment of damages on your behalf. We can also assist you in obtaining receipts/proof of expenditure from third parties as part of your claim.
Will I have to pay to make a claim?
No. Your medical negligence claim may be funded by:-
- Conditional Fee Agreements (No Win No Fee agreements)
- Before the Event Insurance (BTE)
We offer Conditional Fee Agreement (No Win No Fee Agreement) and we can offer delegated After the Event (ATE) insurance with deferred premium (payable at the end of the case) to protect you against any adverse costs.
We use the Law Society’s approved Conditional Fee Agreement
Our guarantee
We guarantee that you will not have to pay anything if we are unsuccessful in obtaining compensation for you. If this happens, we are paid nothing.
If your claim is successful, you may have to pay legal fees and expenses out of your compensation, but we guarantee that this will not exceed 25% of the compensation awarded to you and this includes the ATE insurance premium and IPT.
These guarantees only apply if you pursue your claim with us for as long as it has reasonable prospects of success, follow our professional advice and do not deliberately mislead us.
The deduction from damages
There are two elements to the deduction from damages:-
- A “success fee” to cover us for the risk of losing your case and being paid nothing.
- A premium for insurance to cover you against the risk of having to pay the other side’s legal fees or your expert fees and expenses.
We guarantee that the deductions will not exceed a maximum of one-quarter of your compensation.
The success fee is a percentage uplift on our normal fees to cover us for the cases we lose. It is not a percentage of your compensation.
The amount of the success fee depends how risky your case is. The riskier, the high the percentage uplift on our normal fees.
ATE Insurance cover
The insurance policy is to cover you against two risks:-
1. We will fund the experts’ fees and other expenses. If your claim is successful, then the other side will pay these expenses. If it is unsuccessful, the insurance company pays these fees for you.
2. If you reject a formal offer of settlement and then a Judge awards you the same amount or less, the normal rule is that you have to pay the other side’s costs from the date when you should have accepted the offer. However, if we advised you to reject the offer and you took our advice, then the insurance will pay the other side’s costs for you.
Remember that we guarantee that the success fee and the insurance premium combined will not exceed 25% of the compensation awarded to you.
If you have BTE insurance cover that provides cover for you for clinical/medical claims at the time of your injury, we can write to your insurers to request cover under such policy to investigate your potential claim.
Will I have to go to court to settle my medical negligence claim?
It is rare for medical negligence claims to go to court. Most cases are settled once all the investigations are completed before legal proceedings are issued.
Where proceedings are issued, as long as the case has good supporting medical evidence, most cases settle without the need to go to court.
It is in everyone’s interest to avoid court, so both sides are encouraged to settle matters quickly to avoid extra costs.
However, even though most cases settle well before going to trial, you should ultimately be prepared for going to court so a judge, having heard all the evidence, can decide whether the treatment was negligent.
Can I change solicitors?
Our medical negligence team regularly receives calls from clients who have instructed other law firms, asking, “Can I change my solicitor?”
If you have a medical negligence claim but are not happy with the advice you are receiving, we have specialist solicitors able to assist. Find out more about how to change your solicitor.
Contact our Medical Negligence Solicitors Today
Call us to speak with a lawyer 020 7485 8811
Email us Send us an email and we’ll get back to you
Client StoriesVIEW ALL
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Prison Healthcare Negligence
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Perineal Tear case settles for 6-figure sum
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Court avoided after settlement agreed in dental negligence...
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Successful settlement for negligent care during kidney transplant...
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GP Negligence claim leading to fatality successfully settled
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Justice for client who suffered serious birth injuries
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Severe abdominal pain prolonged due to failed surgery
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Nerve injury following bowel surgery
Stephanie Prior was instructed in a claim against Luton & Dunstable University Hospital where our client sustained an injury to...
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Recent birth injury cases
Osbornes Law specialises in helping families who have suffered a birth injury. We have represented families who have suffered the...
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Recent fatal medical negligence cases
Osbornes Law specialises in helping families who have suffered a fatality due to inadequate medical care. Our specialist team is...
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Melanoma misdiagnosis negligence claim
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Recent Brain Injury Client Stories
Osbornes Law specialises in helping families who have suffered a brain injury as a result of medical negligence. Our specialist...
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Recent cerebral palsy cases
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Serious Injury Following TVT Surgery
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“The team is very quick and efficient in responding."
"Obsbornes Law is always client-focused and works tirelessly to obtain the best outcomes for clients."
‘They are ambitious for their clients and expect high standards from all who work with them.’
"Osbornes somehow combine the accessibility of a local firm, with the professional standards of a national or city outfit."
"Osbornes, is described as having ‘superb judgement and a medical knowledge that is second to none."
Stephanie has developed a particularly strong reputation for her handling of birth injury claims, as well as cases concerning surgical negligence and delays in surgery.
"An excellent firm which achieves fantastic outcomes for clients."
"Stephanie Prior takes on complex cases and gets excellent results. She has a background in medicine which serves her clients well and is a realistic but tough litigator."
"Stephanie Prior is hugely dedicated, adored by her clients, tenacious, efficient and extremely knowledgeable."
"Stephanie Prior is very good with troubled clients and is easily able to make them feel at ease."
"Stephanie shows sensitivity and deals with things in an understanding way."
Osbornes provides a very intimate and personal client service which is increasingly rare in this sector.
The lawyers in the team are highly experienced and will drive cases very hard on behalf of their clients.
"Stephanie Prior has a realistic attitude to the complexities of the cases. She wins the trust of her clients and goes the extra mile to ensure they get the best outcomes."
"Stephanie Prior... manages a varied caseload, including obstetric claims, child and adult brain injury cases and fatal and non-fatal spinal cord injury cases."
"Stephanie is experienced, knowledgeable of all aspects of clinical negligence work, and strategic in running cases."
"An exceptional outfit. They take on difficult cases, fight hard and win."
"The team were extremely professional in putting my needs first. There was a joined-up approach to catering for the client, and all lawyers involved were briefed and constructive."
Stephanie Prior is always very professional and kind. Highly recommended.
Quite simply excellent, with a highly competent and well-rounded team. They understand complex medical litigation and have been our lifesavers, and we will always owe them our immense gratitude.
Essential Reading
Medical Negligence News & InsightsVIEW ALL
- 19.9.2023
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