Medical Misdiagnosis Claims

Our specialist Clinical Negligence team has supported hundreds of clients throughout the South West and beyond in making successful claims for medical misdiagnosis, helping them to get vital compensation for conditions caused or worsened by clinical misdiagnosis. If you or a loved one have suffered an injury or a condition which has worsened as a result of medical misdiagnosis, we can help you secure the justice and compensation to which you are entitled.

Our approach to medical misdiagnosis claims

At Coodes, we understand that a medical misdiagnosis can be very upsetting and can have serious, even life-changing consequences. Our specialist Clinical Negligence team combine expert legal knowledge in this field with a sympathetic and human approach. We will break down the jargon and help you to understand how to make a complaint and launch a claim for compensation. Working closely with expert medical professionals, we will help build your case, showing where treatment and care was negligent and how it has impacted your life and health. We will provide guidance at every stage of your claim so that you have the best possible chance of securing compensation.

Can you claim for medical misdiagnosis?

Medical misdiagnosis can occur for a variety of reasons but the most common are:

• a failure to carry out thorough examinations
• a failure to take detailed patient histories
• a failure to accurately interpret the results of diagnostic tests or investigative surgery
• a failure to refer you to a specialist for further assessment
• the late diagnosis of serious issues, including cancer misdiagnosis
• misdiagnosed heart attack or stroke
• a failure to spot serious illnesses such as sepsis and meningitis
• a failure by a GP to connect symptoms and/or repeat visits

If you have suffered because of misdiagnosis, we can help you claim compensation. Our specialist clinical negligence lawyers, working with expert medical professionals, will seek to identify how it happened and who was responsible, and support you throughout the claim process.

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 the condition for which you are claiming began in England and Wales.

How much will your medical misdiagnosis 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. If your child has suffered serious brain injury at birth as a result of medical misdiagnosis you may be eligible for legal aid to support your claim.

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 I have to make a medical misdiagnosis claim?

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

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 medical misdiagnosis 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 medical misdiagnosis is different. That’s why it is important to get expert advice from qualified specialist lawyers who really understand the unique nature of each medical misdiagnosis 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 resulting injury or 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 medical misdiagnosis. 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 injuries or conditions caused by medical misdiagnosis or address any 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 you or your loved one have lost the capacity to work as a result of medical misdiagnosis.