Does a medical negligence claim take time to pay?

Wright Hassall
August 23, 2020

Are you familiar with medical malpractice? Or clinical negligence? It’s a term used by personal injury lawyers to describe the negligible actions of a medical practitioner, whose actions and decisions have resulted in additional (and avoidable) pain, injuries and suffering.

Simply put, if your doctor fails to provide a certain standard of care or they fail to provide the correct treatment and it then causes you further injury, then you probably have a medical negligence claim. Sadly, even though some patients find themselves in this scenario, many of them avoid pursuing a medical malpractice case.

But why is this the case? When you’ve been injured and it isn’t your fault, or your life has been turned upside down due to the negligence of someone else, why wouldn’t you want to pursue it? Timescales may be considered an issue but if you read on, you’ll discover that claims often don’t take as long as you’d assume… Here we’ll examine this as well as why medical malpractice victims often don’t pursue cases and reasons why they should.

They think it takes too long

So, how long does a medical negligence claim take? It’s a common misconception that a medical malpractice case will drag on for months, when in reality, it’s just not the case. It’s true that medical malpractice cases can take longer than traditional personal injury cases, simply because of the depth of research and fact finding involved, not to mention that all cases are different! However, speaking with a PI lawyer should give you an indication of how long your particular case may take, although these things can be unpredictable.

They like their doctor

Your doctor was kind and thoughtful throughout your treatment. But, despite their kindness, if they operated on the wrong limb, left you with a shorter timeframe to fight cancer, or gave you the wrong medication which has left you ill and potentially disabled, then you can’t let your personal feelings cloud your judgement. Filing a medical malpractice lawsuit means that they’re less likely to make the same mistake again.

They’re worried they’ll look bad

Thanks to the media, those who choose to pursue a claim after a personal injury, or a medical malpractice case often feel judged by others. It’s worth remembering that many people will support your decision to make a claim and if your quality of life is now significantly poorer due to someone else’s mistakes, why shouldn’t you pursue it? Besides, it’s nobody else’s business and if you’re suffering you should seek compensation.

They think they need life-threatening injuries

Believe it or not, you don’t need to have a birth injury, missed cancer diagnosis or an injured baby to file for a claim. Any injury that was sustained due to the negligence of your doctor that has reduced the quality of your life could be potential grounds for a medical malpractice claim.

And finally, they’re unsure whose fault it is

There could be a catalogue of errors that have led you to this point. And just because you’re unsure of where the fault lies, it doesn’t mean you should simply leave it. Speak to a medical negligence solicitor as soon as possible to discuss your case and what happened to you.