What is hospital negligence?

Hospital negligence arises where a healthcare professional makes an error during their treatment and care with a patient that causes the patient injury or harm.  Usually if the treatment falls below a generally accepted standard, judged by the medical profession itself that will amount to medical negligence.  If this arises and it causes you injury, you should be able to make a claim for compensation.

Types of hospital negligence

These are many and varied.  The more common types of hospital negligence claims that we have seen include the following:

• Accident & Emergency (A&E) claims
  This is normally a person’s first point of contact at a hospital and depending on the particular symptoms upon presenting at the A&E Department, it can be of critical importance that appropriate assessment is carried out and treatment is provided without delay which includes correct diagnosis.
• Amputee claims
  These typically can involve the lower limbs as well as upper limbs and hands. 
• Anaesthetic claims
  Surgery performed in hospitals generally involve some type of anaesthetic and, on occasions, error can result in nerve damage, brain injury or, in more extreme cases, death.
• Birth injury claims
  These can be most significant for both baby and mother.  Typically, they arise through oxygen deprivation to the baby which should be identified and managed timely and appropriately.  A failure in this regard can have the most devastating and lifelong consequences.
• Cancer claims
  Typically, these involve a misdiagnosing or delay in diagnosing cancer which in itself can cause the patient to undergo more aggressive treatment regimes and, in some cases, the patient’s life expectancy may be shortened as a result of the delay in diagnosing.
• Paediatric claims
  Babies and often children may not be able to communicate their pain which makes it all the more important that the medical professionals make the correct diagnosis and treatment.  Paediatric claims are often wide-ranging and themselves various.
• Meningitis claims
  Just under 100 people in Ireland are diagnosed with meningitis each year.  Meningitis is an infection of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord.  Should there be delay in diagnosing meningitis, this can have the most serious of consequences, in particular, it can cause septicaemia (blood poisoning) which in itself can trigger sepsis which in turn can be a life-threatening condition which can cause tissue damage, organ failure and possibly death.
• Surgical claims
  There are many surgical specialities such as orthopaedic, general, maxillo-facial, neurosurgery, vascular and paediatric.  Errors can be made in any of the surgical specialities, and we have experience in dealing with these types of claims.

Making a hospital negligence claim

If you or a loved one have suffered harm because of hospital negligence, then you may be able to make a claim for compensation. We believe in putting you our client first. We are committed to achieving the best result possible while all the time remaining sensitive to your needs. Please feel free to reach out to us below and will be pleased to discuss your case and offer no obligation advice.

Why choose John McCabe Solicitors?

We are one of the Ireland’s leading personal injury, medical negligence and data protection compensation claims solicitors. We have helped many people recover compensation for their injuries, illnesses and data protection breaches. We offer no obligation and straight-talking legal advice.

From our offices in Dublin and Cork, we help people right across Ireland claim the compensation they are legally entitled to for the losses they have suffered. Wherever you live, we would like to hear from you. Online video consultations can be arranged.

To contact one of our hospital negligence claims solicitors please call 0818 888 555 or WhatsApp/call 087 398 7386 or complete our online enquiry form