GP Negligence Claims

Our expert Clinical Negligence lawyers advise clients on a wide range of GP negligence claims, helping them to get vital compensation for injuries and illnesses and medical conditions missed, caused by or made worse by poor or negligent GP care. If you or a loved one have suffered an injury as a result of negligent GP treatment, we can help you secure the justice and compensation to which you are entitled.

Our approach to GP negligence claims

GPs occupy a special place in our medical care. They are the gatekeepers to all sorts of specialist treatments but also the experts we consult for what might present as relatively minor conditions. We trust them and, in many cases, we see the same GP many times over our lives. So, it’s distressing when we find that they have delivered inadequate or negligent care – especially if this results in long-term problems or a minor, treatable problem developing into a much more serious condition.

Our specialist Clinical Negligence team combine expert legal knowledge with a sympathetic and human approach. We will break down the jargon and help you to understand how to make a complaint and start a claim for compensation. Working closely with expert medical professionals, we will help build your case, showing where GP care was negligent, and provide guidance at every stage of your claim so that you have the best possible chance of securing compensation.

Of course, financial awards can’t fully compensate you for the pain and anxiety that go with GP clinical negligence or address any long-term consequences. But compensation can help you to make any necessary adjustments to your lifestyle and get your life back on track.

Many of the GP clinical negligence claims that we advise on are handled on a no win no fee basis, meaning that there is no financial risk to you if your claim is unsuccessful.

Can you claim for GP clinical negligence?

GPs cover a huge range of medical conditions and symptoms and it’s their job to provide an expert service, treating your condition promptly or referring you to a specialist for further investigation and treatment. When they fail to deliver this service, you may be eligible to make a claim for clinical negligence. Our expert team have helped clients throughout Cornwall and Devon with a wide range of GP clinical negligence claims, including:

• Failure by your GP to conduct an adequate examination leading to the overlooking or dismissing of important symptoms or warnings that highlight the need for further investigations. For example, bleeding that occurs anytime outside a woman’s menstrual cycle is a potential symptom of cervical cancer and requires a physical examination. Your GP may negligently put this down to a heavy period and fail to examine you.
• Failure to refer you to a specialist for further tests. For example, you may present with a persistent cough over a long period of time but not get a timely referral to a cancer specialist for a potential diagnosis of lung cancer.
• Failure to act upon, or misinterpretation of abnormal test results. All test results should be accurately assessed and acted upon to avoid your condition becoming worse. For example, a man may have a test to monitor his ‘PSA’ levels, an indicator for further investigation into whether or not he has prostate cancer.
• Inappropriate prescription of drugs or combinations of drugs, or failure to review repeat medication. For example, the GP may prescribe you with too much of a medication, such as steroids, which can then result in a number of upsetting and avoidable symptoms.

If any of the above has happened to you, our GP clinical negligence lawyers are here to help and guide you through the process of making a compensation claim. We’ve helped many people to claim compensation after GP mistakes, so we know exactly how to approach your case to get the best possible result.

Although Coodes’ medical negligence lawyers are based in Cornwall and Devon, we cover the whole of England and Wales and will come and see you wherever you are. We act for clients anywhere in the world so long as they have been injured in England and Wales.

How much will your GP negligence claim cost?

In many cases, we will be able to support you on a no win no fee basis, meaning that if your claim is not successful, you will not have to pay any legal fees.

Whatever your case, we offer a free initial consultation to help you understand the process and the likely funding basis of your claim.

How long do you have to make a GP negligence claim?

You usually have up to three years from the date of the incident or when its effects were first apparent to start a GP negligence claim.

If the claim is for your child, you have until their 18th birthday to make a claim on their behalf. After this it becomes the responsibility of the child to make the claim, with the three-year limit starting when they reach the age of 18. If they lack the ‘capacity’ to handle their own affairs, the time limit does not apply. Similarly, if the GP negligence claim is on behalf of an adult incapable of handling their own affairs, the limitation does not apply.

We recommend that you contact us as soon as possible, so that our clinical negligence lawyers can explain the process of claiming compensation, start your claim and help you access any other support and/or rehabilitation you need.

How much compensation could you receive?

Every case of GP negligence is different. That’s why it is important to get expert advice from qualified specialist lawyers who really understand the unique nature of each GP negligence issue and who are experienced in working with medical professionals to truly understand its long-term implications.

The amount you can claim will depend on a number of factors, including the severity of the condition, any financial losses you or your loved one have suffered or will suffer in the future, and any changes to your lifestyle that you have to make as a result of the GP negligence. Whatever the case, our specialist clinical negligence lawyers will ensure that you get the compensation and support you are entitled to.

Of course, financial awards can’t fully compensate you or your loved one for a case of GP negligence or address the long-term consequences. But compensation can help you to make any necessary adjustments to your lifestyle and help you get your life back on track. Compensation could also help to provide vital support if a loved one has lost the capacity to work as a result of GP negligence.