Meningitis negligence compensation | What to expect from compensation and what factors influence your compensation amount

Public Health England’s (PHE) latest report shows that, in the UK alone, there were 461 cases of meningitis reported from 2019-2020, 105 of which occurred in infants, and 30 of which were fatal. However, amongst the tragedy of meningitis cases, there are still several claims each year of medical negligence where people are seeking meningitis compensation. These are due to things such as meningitis misdiagnosis, incorrect treatment, and many other possible forms of clinical negligence. Just recently, in 2019, our team at Wake Smith Solicitors secured a £12million settlement for a child who was left with severe brain injury due to an untreated infection that caused bacterial meningitis.

If you, like so many others, are unsure of whether you can make a claim or are uncertain of how much compensation you are entitled to, then this article is here to help. This guide not only informs you of who can receive meningitis compensation and what factors are considered, but takes you through the process of how to make your claim.

Who can receive compensation?

Negligence compensation for meningitis can be given to anyone who, after thorough evaluation, can be proven to be a victim of any of the many forms of clinical meningitis negligence. This could be, but is not limited to, a misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis, incorrect treatment, misinformation, or many other forms of negligence that result in meningitis causing damage or injury. A law firm such as Wake Smith can help you form your case to receive your rightful compensation.

Read our full guide to the types of meningitis compensation claims here.

What factors influence your compensation amount?

When making a negligence claim for meningitis, there are many factors that can influence the amount of compensation you receive:

The severity of the damage

The severity of the damage that resulted from the clinical negligence will affect your compensation amount. The more serious the damage, the more compensation you will be entitled to. Meningitis negligence can lead to very severe conditions such as hearing loss, brain injury, and in worst cases, death, so all of these will be taken into account when compensation is given.

Emotional and physical trauma

Meningitis negligence can not only cause physical trauma, but also emotional trauma. Physical trauma includes things such as injury and death, but compensation also factors in the emotional trauma that the negligence caused. This could be things like the severe stress, depression, fear, or loss that you experienced due to clinical negligence. These things will also add to the compensation amount you receive.

Have you experienced trauma due to meningitis negligence? Contact us here.

Associated travel/medical costs

Meningitis compensation will also consider the travel and medical costs that you had to pay as a result of poor negligence and treatment. Many of your expenses could have been avoided but for negligence, and these can be part of your compensation payout.

Long-lasting damage

The injury caused by meningitis negligence can have serious impacts on individuals, and symptoms can often be long-lasting. Clinical negligence may have resulted in things such as permanent disability or brain damage, which can severely impact an individual for life. This is all taken into consideration when giving negligence compensation.

How much compensation could I receive for a meningitis negligence case?

The meningitis negligence compensation you receive will depend on the extremity of the damage caused to you/your child and the factors listed above. Some meningitis negligence claims can fetch in excess of £1 million and more, depending on the severity of the impact it’s had on the patient’s life. Wake Smith have an expert team of medical negligence solicitors who will not only offer you the utmost care and dedication when handling your case, but also vigorously analyse every aspect of the negligence to ensure you receive rightful justice.

How long does it take to get compensation for meningitis negligence?

The length of time to receive compensation varies depending on whether liability is admitted or not. If liability is admitted early, it may possibly be resolved within a year or to obtain an interim payment of compensation to assist with living expenses as the case progresses. If liability is not admitted, and we believe your claim to have good grounds for success, we will issue court proceedings. This will then lead to trial which may take up may take up to two to three years before you receive compensation. After admission of liability for meningitis negligence, it may still take time to quantify all the consequential financial losses.

Will your meningitis negligence claim be successful?

It is impossible to say for certain whether your claim will be successful, but we will do everything we can to get you the compensation we believe you deserve.

Can you claim meningitis compensation for someone else?

You usually have to make a meningitis compensation claim yourself, unless the victim is under the age of 18 in which a parent/guardian will do so. However, particularly with clinical negligence claims, there may be circumstances – such as disability or death – where the direct victim is unable to make the claim alone, and such circumstances will allow another person to aid the claim.

Why should you make a meningitis compensation claim?

Meningitis negligence has led to some of the most unfortunate and saddening circumstances for many innocent victims. Medical treatment is in place to help people, and when this system fails, it can result in severe consequences that were not your fault. Therefore, if you have been a victim of meningitis negligence, then we urge you to contact us because you have every right to receive the compensation and justice that you are owed.

Making a compensation claim for meningitis negligence

Before making a claim, it is important to understand all the facts and timelines regarding your meningitis negligence. This means, the type of meningitis you or your child had, how it was contracted, when it was diagnosed, what treatment (if any) was given, the symptoms, and the progression of meningitis. This will help both you and our team understand what specific negligence was present and what it caused.

Once you have this, contact us to speak to one of our expert team members who will evaluate your claim. If we feel you have a case, we will help you file a liability claim. If this is not admitted, but we still feel you definitely have a case worthy of compensation, then we will issue court proceedings and the case will be taken to trial. Whilst this may span over a minimum of two to three years, rest assured that our expert team will be with you every step of the way to ensure you receive justice and compensation for your meningitis negligence claim.

How Wake Smith can help

We have a highly-experienced team of medical negligence solicitors who are guaranteed to give you the best advice, guidance, and service in your claim. Amongst our team we have members of the specialist Law Society Panel and Action against Medical Accidents, who are highly experienced and fully qualified. Our dedicated and hard-working professionals will do everything in their power to help you receive what you are rightfully owed.

Do you feel you have been the victim of meningitis negligence?Contact us hereto find out how we can help.

Frequently asked questions

When can you claim for meningitis misdiagnosis?

You can claim as soon as you realise that your meningitis has been misdiagnosed and has caused you any issues – physical/emotional trauma, expenses, injury.

What are the dangers of a delayed or missed meningitis diagnosis?

A delayed or missed meningitis diagnosis can cause severe, long-lasting damage that could have been avoided if diagnosed and treated in time.

Are you entitled to compensation for the misdiagnosis of meningitis?

The compensation will vary depending on several factors mentioned above, but if you have suffered due to a meningitis misdiagnosis then you are most likely entitled to some compensation.

What evidence is needed to claim compensation for meningitis?

You must prove that the effects (injury, trauma) were caused by a lack of proper care by your medical professional (misdiagnosis, poor treatment).

Can you make a compensation claim if a loved one died due to meningitis negligence?

Whilst possible, there are several factors that play into this, such as whether the deceased left a will or not, so if you are planning on making a claim on behalf of someone who died it is best to contact us for expert guidance and advice.

If you are in need of a phenomenal team of solicitors to handle your meningitis negligence claim, then get in touch with us now.

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