GP Negligence Claims

Our expertise in GP negligence claims

Our medical negligence lawyers regularly support clients all over England and Wales with a wide range of GP negligence claims.

We are able to secure substantial compensation for our clients who have experienced negligent treatment by a GP in relation to issues including:

• Misdiagnosis or late diagnosis of a medical condition (including cancer misdiagnosis and stroke misdiagnosis)
• Failure to recognise the symptoms of a transient ischemic attack (TIA)
• Failure to recognise the symptoms of testicular torsion
• Failure to carry out a proper examination of a patient
• Failure to order appropriate diagnostic tests or correctly interpret test results
• Failure to refer a patient to the appropriate specialist for treatment
• Negligent record-keeping
• Failure to review a patient’s medical records
• Failure to attend a home visit
• Prescribing inappropriate medication or the wrong dosage

Our clinical negligence team are highly skilled in negotiation and alternative dispute resolution, meaning we resolve the majority of the GP negligence claims we handle without the need for a court hearing. This allows you to avoid the stress and uncertainty of having your case dealt with in court, while also normally meaning we can secure compensation faster and with lower legal expenses.

However, we are also highly experienced in taking negligence claims through the courts. This means we can ensure you will have the right support and very best representation to help secure a fair outcome, no matter how your case progresses.

We are accredited by the Law Society for Personal Injury reflecting our expertise in this area.

Our team has also been recognised by Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500, the two leading client guides to the legal profession, for our exceptional skill in handling negligence claims.

Our no win no fee GP negligence claims service

Many people have concerns about how they will fund the cost of a GP negligence claims, but this should never be a reason to put of pursuing compensation where you are entitled to it. As long as we believe your claim has merit, we will help you find an appropriate way to fund it.

In many cases, this means using a ‘conditional fee agreement’ to cover the cost of your claim. Also known as a ‘no win, no fee’ claim, this means you do not need to pay anything up front to start a claim and will only need to contribute towards your legal fees and expenses if your claim succeeds in securing compensation.

In the event of a successful claim, the fees you pay will be based on a pre-agreed percentage of the damages secured. This means you will always have transparency over the likely costs involved and always be able to keep the majority of any compensation we win for you.

What counts as GP negligence?

When a GP makes an error, it will not necessarily automatically count as negligence. To be considered negligent, the care you receive from your GP will need to:

1. Fall below medically acceptable standards i.e. another GP in the same situation would not be expected to have made the same errors.
2. The negligence you experienced directly caused or contributed to a worse outcome for your health.

What evidence do you need to prove GP negligence?

To show that the care you received from your GP was negligent, we will rely on evidence including:

• Medical records
• Witness testimony
• Evidence from independent medical experts

Ensuring no key evidence is missed and that everything is presented in the right way takes skill and experience, so we strongly recommend contacting our specialist medical negligence solicitors as soon as possible to ensure you case can be built correctly from the outset.

How much compensation can you claim for GP negligence?

This will depend on the circumstances, including:

1. How serious the injury your suffered was.
2. What affect this has had on your health and overall lifestyle.

There are two types of damages for GP negligence you can typically claim:

Special damages – for specific financial costs incurred before the date of settlement e.g. paying for private medical treatment, lost income etc.

General damages – for non-financial losses, e.g. pain and suffering and lifestyle changes, plus expected financial losses yet to be incurred e.g. paying for on-going treatment support and any long-term impact on your career.

We will provide an estimate of how much your claim may be worth during the early stages of the claims process so you have a clear idea of how much compensation you may be able to secure.

Time limits for GP negligence claims

When bringing a claim for GP negligence, there are strict time limits for starting the claims process, so it is essential to seek specialist legal advice at the earliest opportunity so you do not run the risk of missing your claim to claim.

To make a claim for yourself – you will normally have 3 years, either from when the negligence occurred or when you found out about it.

To make a claim for someone under the age of 18 – you will normally have until they turn 18 to do so. After this, if a claim has not been made, they will have 3 years from their 18^th birthday to bring a claim by themselves.

To make a claim for someone without the mental capacity to bring a claim of their own – there is no time limit.

To make a claim for a loved one who has died due to GP negligence – you will normally have 3 years from the date of death.

Get in touch with our expert GP negligence claims solicitors today

To arrange your free consultation on starting a GP negligence claim, please call us on 0333 323 1640, email us at enquiries@ibbclaims.co.uk or use the contact form on the right to request a call back.