Clinical Negligence Solicitors

Our solicitors are experts in clinical negligence claims. Denise Broomfield is a member of both Law Society Clinical Negligence and AvMA (Action v Medical Accidents)  panels with 15 years experience of clinical negligence claims covering all areas of medical accidents. Our clinical negligence solicitors act for clients in Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Somerset, Gloucestershire and throughout the UK.

What is clinical negligence?

The legal test when making a clinical negligence claim is whether or not the medical  treatment given to a patient was of the standard that a reasonably competent doctor practising in that particular field of medicine should have given.

To prove your injuries were caused by substandard medical care, we need an independent doctor's opinion. 

Doctors stick together – will the independent doctor really help my claim?

Our clinical negligence solicitors are very careful in choosing doctors to act as experts. We have a large database of doctors who help victims of medical accidents and check that your expert does not know the doctors who treated you.

If the independent doctor says I have a claim, what happens next?

First our clinical negligence lawyers write to the hospital or doctor concerned saying why we think you have a claim. They must reply within 3 months saying whether they admit responsibility for your injury or not.

If they do not accept responsibility for your medical injury, we may need to start Court action. Our clinical negligence solicitors will explain if your compensation claim is likely to be successful and how your case will proceed.

1. Damages for pain, suffering and loss of amenity (ie damages for your physical injury)
2. Damages for your out of pocket expenses (also called special damages) including lost earnings, hospital travel costs, care by your family, prescriptions and over the counter medicines. Please keep receipts, and keeping a diary can also be useful as it is always hard to remember these things as your case progresses
3. Future expenses. If your claim is large, you may be able to claim future lost earnings, the cost of adapting your house or car, and future costs of someone caring for you 

A member of my family has died as a result of poor medical treatment – can I still claim?

Family members can claim if a husband, wife, co-habitee of more than 2 years standing, child or someone else on whom they were financially dependent has died following a medical accident. There is a £11,800 standard bereavement payment. Further, if the deceased contributed financially to the upkeep of family members (eg the family breadwinner died leaving a partner and children), those relatives can also make a "dependency claim".

Time limits for clinical negligence claims

Normally a claim must be brought within three years of the injury. If a child is injured then the three years runs from their 18th birthday.

Limitation is a difficult area in clinical negligence and we suggest that you take legal advice from a specialist clinical negligence lawyer as soon as you think you have had a medical accident.

1. Legal expenses insurance (which may be attached to your household or car insurance )
2. Public funding (formerly Legal Aid). We have a clinical negligence franchise and represent clients using Public Funding 
3. No win no fee agreements. We enter into "no win no fee" arrangements for some clinical negligence compensation claims.
4. You pay privately

Our clinical negligence solicitors can discuss funding with you at the FREE  first interview. 

1. Details of your full name, address, date of birth, National Insurance number and marital status
2. Copies of ID, preferably containing a photograph (ie a modern driving licence or passport), and a recent utility bill confirming your address
3. The date of your accident
4. Details of when you realised that there might have been a problem with your medical treatment, if this is later
5. The name of the NHS Trust treating you and your Consultant's name
6. A summary of the condition you went to hospital with
7. A summary of why you think your treatment went wrong
8. A quick summary of any financial expenses you have incurred, eg lost earnings, travel to hospital, prescription charges and the cost of somebody looking after you
9. Copies of any correspondence with any doctors treating you or the hospital
10. Anything else which you think is relevant to your accident

Contact our clinical negligence solicitors as soon as possible

It’s important to take legal advice from our Solicitors as soon as possible after your accident – time limitation periods apply and it's often easier investigating your compensation claim if you take early legal advice. At your first free interview with us, our clinical negligence Solicitors will tell you whether your accident compensation claim is worth pursuing.

Home/Hospital visits are available for clients with serious injuries. Our clinical negligence Solicitors can see you in our Salisbury, Andover, Amesbury or Verwood offices and we have interviewing facilities in West Dorset. Our solicitors also regularly represent clinical negligence clients in Shaftesbury, Sherborne, Gillingham, Frome, Westbury, Warminster, Romsey, Lyndhurst, Brockenhurst, Ilminster, Shepton Mallett,Yeovil,  Wells, Glastonbury, Ferndown, Wincanton, Radstock, Fordingbridge and Ringwood.

If you think you have a clinical negligence compensation claim, for a FREE interview  contact Denise Broomfield or Lin Revell on Salisbury (01722) 424426 or e-mail Denise Broomfield for legal advice from expert Clinical Negligence Solicitors in our Salisbury,  Verwood , Amesbury or  Andover offices.