Meningitis Negligence Claims Guide
Welcome to our meningitis negligence claims guide. We discuss what meningitis is and the eligibility criteria that must be met in order to start claiming compensation.
We also look at some examples of how meningitis negligence could potentially occur, and how compensation might be calculated if your claim is successful.
Furthermore, we list types of evidence that is essential in proving medical negligence claims and we discuss the benefits of No Win No Fee agreements, which is the basis which our panel of medical negligence solicitors work.
If you have been harmed by a medical professional, please contact us today. Discuss your circumstances with a member of our friendly team, and they will tell you what you can do next. It is free to have a chat with us and our lines are open 24/7:
- Call 020 3870 4868.
- Use our claim online form.
- Message an advisor in our on-screen live chat.
Jump To A Section:
- What Is Meningitis?
- What Are Meningitis Negligence Claims?
- Can I Claim For Meningitis Negligence?
- How Much Compensation For Meningitis Negligence?
- How Do I Prove A Meningitis Negligence Claim?
- What Are No Win No Fee Meningitis Negligence Claims?
- Read More About Medical Negligence Cases
What Is Meningitis?
Meningitis is when the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord become infected. It is usually caused by a viral or bacterial infection.
Here are some symptoms of meningitis:
- Spots and rashes.
- Blotchy skin.
- Fever.
- Vomiting.
- Quick breathing.
- Confusion.
- Joint and muscle pain.
Seeking medical attention immediately is essential if you suspect that either you or your child has meningitis. The NHS estimates that up to 1 in every 2 to 3 people with bacterial meningitis will suffer permanent problems.
What Are Meningitis Negligence Claims?
Meningitis negligence claims may be made if it’s proven that negligence has occurred. Medical negligence can be defined as when a medical professional breaches duty of care, and as a result of this breach, a patient suffers harm that could’ve been prevented (avoidable harm).
All medical professionals owe a duty of care to their patients. Under this duty of care, medical professionals must always deliver the correct standard of care. It is a breach of their duty to deliver substandard care.
As such, below is the meningitis negligence claims eligibility criteria:
- You were owed a duty of care by a medical professional, such as a GP, doctor, etc.
- The medical professional breached their duty of care by delivering a standard of care that fell below the minimum expectations.
- You suffered avoidable harm as a result of this breach.
Have a chat with us today if the above criteria applies to you. Our member of our team can confirm whether you have an eligible meningitis negligence claim.
Can I Claim For Meningitis Negligence?
Here are some examples of how a medical professional could possibly breach their duty of care, and in turn, cause avoidable harm:
- You visit your GP with some main symptoms of meningitis – you have joint pain, a rash that doesn’t fade under pressure from a clear glass, and a fever. Despite this, your GP dismisses your concerns and does not refer you for testing. Instead, they misdiagnose you. This causes your condition to worsen and you develop sepsis.
- After having a lumbar puncture, your doctor loses your test results. You quickly deteriorate as you wait for the second set of results due to delays in treatment.
- While you are at a pharmacy collecting the antibiotics you need to treat your meningitis, the pharmacist mislabels your medication with another patient. As a result, you are given the wrong medication that are ineffective. From this, you suffer more symptoms, such as seizures.
There are multiple possible ways that meningitis negligence could occur. So, talk to us today about your specific circumstances to see whether you can claim for meningitis negligence.
How Much Compensation For Meningitis Negligence?
If your meningitis compensation claim is successful, you could be awarded up to two heads of loss. These are known as special and general damages. While general damages is awarded in all successful medical negligence claims, special damages are only awarded in some.
General damages provides you with compensation for the physical and psychological effects of the avoidable harm you have endured due to a medical professional failing to adhere to their duty of care. While this head of loss is being valued, these factors are some that are looked at:
- Loss of amenity.
- Your pain severity.
- The predicted length of recovery.
Those calculating this head of loss may refer to the Guidelines from the Judicial College (JCG). The JCG is a publication containing guideline compensation values for all kinds of physical and psychological harm.
Guideline Compensation Table
In the table below you can find some examples of harm that could be suffered as a result of meningitis. These examples of harm, along with their guideline compensation values, are from the JCG.
However, the top value is not from the JCG, and none of these values can be guaranteed for your potential meningitis negligence claim. This is because all claims are unique.
| Type of harm | Severity | Guideline compensation values |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple serious types of harm with special damages | Serious | Up to £1,000,000+ |
| Paralysis | Tetraplegia (a) | £396,140 to £493,000 |
| Paraplegia (b) | £267,340 to £346,890 | |
| Brain damage | Very severe (a) | £344,150 to £493,000 |
| Moderate (c) (i) | £183,190 to £267,340 | |
| Leg | Amputations (a) (i) | £293,850 to £344,150 |
| Amputations (a) (iv) | £119,570 to £162,290 | |
| Sight | Total blindness (b) | In the region of £327,940 |
| Deafness | Total deafness (b) | £110,750 to £133,810 |
Can I Claim For The Long Term Impact Of Meningitis Negligence?
Special damages provides you with compensation for the financial effects of the avoidable harm you have endured due to a medical professional failing to adhere to their duty of care. These financial losses can include:
- Loss of earnings for not being able to work.
- Travel costs from making your way to and from medical appointments.
- Medical bills, such as prescription costs.
Financial losses can have a long-term impact. This is why being awarded special damages can be very helpful, as you can recover any financial losses you have incurred and your financial position can be restored to what it was before you suffered meningitis negligence.
However, you must have evidence to show your financial losses. Such evidence includes payslips, bank statements, invoices, and receipts.
For more information on how compensation is calculated for successful meningitis claims, feel free to contact us.
How Do I Prove A Meningitis Negligence Claim?
Providing evidence for your meningitis claim is essential in order to prove that you have endured avoidable harm due to a medical professional failing to adhere to their duty of care.
As such, here are some types of evidence you should collect:
- Copies of your medical records and notes to show the extent and severity of your avoidable harm, such as test results.
- Copies of letters that confirm your diagnosis and when your medical appointments were where a medical professional was negligent.
- Photographs of the visible effects of your avoidable harm, such as a rash.
- Contact details from anyone who witnessed a medical professional be negligent with you. For example, if a family member attended a hospital appointment with you where your GP ignored your symptoms.
- A personal symptoms diary where you have recorded how you have been affected.
If you’re connected with medical negligence solicitors from our panel, you don’t have to worry about collecting all of your evidence on your own. As part of their services, our panel of solicitors collect evidence to help their claimants.
To find out whether you can connect with a solicitor from our panel and receive their help, please contact us today.
What Are No Win No Fee Meningitis Negligence Claims?
Our panel of expert medical negligence solicitors work on a No Win No Fee basis. Specifically, if you’re eligible to claim compensation, you could be offered a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA).
Here is how you can benefit from a CFA:
- There are no solicitor fees before the claims process begins.
- There are no solicitor fees during the claims process.
- If your claim is unsuccessful, there are no solicitor fees at all.
- If your claim is successful, your solicitor will take a success fee from your compensation so that you don’t have to pay any solicitor fees directly from your pocket. Success fees are a small percentage, capped by law.
Contact Us Today
Contact us today if you have suffered meningitis negligence. Our friendly team can answer your claim queries for free:
- Call 020 3870 4868.
- Use our claim online form.
- Message an advisor in our on-screen live chat.
Read More About Medical Negligence Cases
Here are some of our other clinical negligence claims guides:
- Learn what the time limit is to make a medical negligence claim.
- Learn how to make a medical negligence claim against a private hospital.
- Look at some more examples of what is classed as medical negligence in the UK.
Alternatively, we think these other pages might provide you with helpful information:
- Meningitis Research Foundation – support services for help and support if you or a loved one has suffered meningitis.
- General Medical Council (GMC) – the expected professional standards for doctors.
- Royal College of Nursing (RCN) – guidance for patients about raising concerns.
Thank you for reading our meningitis negligence claims guide. We hope to have answered your questions.
