Medical Negligence Solicitors in Darlington

Where medical care falls below a reasonable standard and causes avoidable harm, a claim may be open to you. Our medical negligence solicitors act for people in Darlington and County Durham, and can advise you on whether that is likely to be what happened and on what basis a claim should be pursued.

Nobody plans to make a claim against the people who were supposed to be treating them. If that is the position you find yourself in, we will keep the process straightforward, explain each step before it happens, and give you a realistic view of the prospects.

Most claims are funded by a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), the arrangement usually described as no win, no fee. Our fees are not payable by you if the claim does not succeed, so the cost of legal advice need not be a reason to hold back.

It is worth taking advice sooner rather than later. A three-year limitation period generally applies, and medical records, staff recollections and internal incident reports are all easier to obtain while events are recent. If you think you may be close to the deadline, tell us when you first make contact.

Contact our medical negligence solicitors in Darlington

If you think you may have a medical negligence claim in Darlington, please contact us and we will set up a free initial consultation to talk through what happened and what you can do about it.

Our Darlington medical negligence services

Amputation claims

Where a limb is lost that competent treatment would have saved, compensation may be available. The cases we see most often involve infections that were not brought under control, circulation problems that went uninvestigated, and missed complications after surgery. We can obtain your records and get an independent surgeon’s view.

See our amputation claims services for further information.

Birth injury claims

Negligent care during pregnancy, labour or the period immediately afterwards can cause harm that lasts a lifetime, whether to a baby or to a mother. We look at how labour was monitored, whether a deteriorating situation was escalated quickly enough, and what care followed the birth. These claims are handled with the sensitivity they warrant.

See our birth injury claims services for further information.

Cancer misdiagnosis claims

With most cancers, the stage at which treatment begins has a direct bearing on the outcome. Claims can follow a symptom put down to something benign, a referral that should have been urgent, or a scan or biopsy reported inaccurately. We instruct oncologists to set out what a timely diagnosis would have meant for you.

See our cancer misdiagnosis claims services for further information.

Cauda equina syndrome claims

Cauda equina syndrome involves compression of the nerves at the base of the spine and needs urgent surgery to prevent permanent damage. Claims arise where the warning signs were not recognised, an MRI scan was not arranged in time, or the operation happened too late. We can review the sequence of events and advise whether the delay was negligent.

See our cauda equina syndrome claims services for further information.

Complex injury claims

Where someone is left with multiple injuries or lifelong care needs, the claim has to account for costs stretching decades into the future. Care packages, therapy, housing adaptations and lost earnings all form part of it. We assemble the expert evidence needed to value the claim properly rather than approximately.

See our complex injury claims services for further information.

Fatal injury claims

If a relative has died because of failings in their treatment, a claim can secure answers as well as compensation for the family’s losses. We can act for the estate and for anyone who was financially dependent, and can support the family through an inquest. There is no pressure to move faster than you want to.

See our fatal injury claims services for further information.

Spinal injury claims

Damage to the spine caused by negligent treatment can permanently affect mobility, work and daily independence. It may result from surgery carried out badly, from a fracture or instability that was not identified, or from delay in relieving pressure on the spinal cord. Compensation should reflect long-term care and adaptation needs alongside the injury.

See our spinal injury claims services for further information.

Traumatic brain injury claims

The effects of a brain injury often extend well beyond what is visible, reaching memory, mood, speech and the capacity to work. We advise on claims where the injury followed an error in surgery or anaesthesia, or a failure to identify and treat a bleed, stroke or infection in time. Neurological evidence is usually decisive in these cases.

See our traumatic brain injury claims services for further information.

Our fees for medical negligence claims in Darlington

We will always be open with you about costs. The large majority of medical negligence claims we take on are funded by a Conditional Fee Agreement, better known as no win, no fee, so if the claim is unsuccessful our fees are not payable by you.

At the first meeting we will go through the funding, what happens to costs if the claim succeeds, and how any insurance policy would operate. Nothing starts until you are happy with the arrangement.

Local resources for medical negligence claims in Darlington

Darlington County Court and Family Court

Medical negligence claims are civil proceedings, and for claimants in the city they would usually be issued or heard at Darlington County Court and Family Court.

See Darlington County Court and Family Court for further information.

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust (CDDFT) is the main NHS provider for the area, running Darlington Memorial Hospital, the University Hospital of North Durham and a number of smaller sites. Care is frequently shared between hospitals, so one episode of treatment can involve more than one location within the same trust. Where the trust provided the care, the claim is brought against it and answered by NHS Resolution.

See County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust for further information.

NHS Resolution

NHS Resolution deals with clinical negligence claims against NHS organisations in England, so it is NHS Resolution rather than the hospital that will respond to your claim. It reviews the records, takes its own expert evidence and then states whether liability is admitted. We handle that correspondence and translate it into plain terms for you.

See NHS Resolution for further information.