Medical Negligence Misdiagnosis Compensation Claims
If you’ve received an incorrect diagnosis from a healthcare professional, you might have a misdiagnosis claim. This means you can claim compensation for the issues and complications caused by your misdiagnosis to help make your life that little bit easier.
Our expert medical negligence team have years of experience in supporting people who’ve been misdiagnosed in winning their claims and getting the right compensation.
“Hodge Jones & Allen have a team of experienced and dedicated clinical negligence practitioners. They offer an excellent service to their clients and are highly empathetic. They persist in investigating claims where other firms might not.” – Legal 500, 2023
The team has been ranked in the Chambers & Partners 2024 legal directory. The team was described as “professional and quick to respond to any questions. They have demonstrated skills and handle complex cases with sensitivity.”
we can help.
0330 822 3451For more information about misdiagnosis and pursuing a claim, contact our medical negligence team.
What is misdiagnosis?
A misdiagnosis is where a medical professional gives the wrong diagnosis for your illness. This can be both upsetting and harmful, which is why our expert team of medical negligence solicitors are on hand to support you.
If you’ve received a misdiagnosis that has caused a delay to your treatment or resulted in further harm, you may be entitled to compensation to help you adjust to the changes in your life and continue supporting your family. Our team will help you through every stage of your claim and work tirelessly to get you the support you deserve.
"I contacted this company at a very difficult time, they have been very understanding and supportive. All aspects of my case have been made easy to understand and they have been only to willing to answer questions. They have been easy to contact at all times. I wouldn't hesitate to use them again."
What conditions are misdiagnosed?
Our medical negligence team are specialists in misdiagnosis claims and will be on hand to support you throughout your claim, whatever your misdiagnosis was.
While it’s possible to receive a misdiagnosis for any illness, some are more common than others.
Below is a list of some of the more common misdiagnosis cases we deal with.
Cancer
A cancer misdiagnosis can have serious and often life-changing consequences. Cancer misdiagnosis can also cover issues of late diagnoses causing an illness to develop to a more advanced stage, affecting treatment possibilities and life expectancies.
Meningitis
Bacterial meningitis can sometimes be misdiagnosed as viral meningitis or even strep throat due to the difficulty in spotting some of the symptoms, or the similarities to other illnesses. This may cause a delay in the appropriate treatment.
Diabetes
Without proper testing, diabetes can often bear a resemblance to several other illnesses, leading to misdiagnosis. These could include Type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes, the flu or an eating disorder.
Stroke
An undiagnosed or misdiagnosed stroke can lead to delayed treatment or no treatment at all. This allows brain cell death to continue which may quickly escalate to preventable permanent brain injury or death.
Sepsis
Sepsis can be misdiagnosed if you’re not thoroughly assessed or if your symptoms are misinterpreted. Sadly, this can lead to fatal errors including the failure or delay of proper treatment, which may cause the need to make major lifestyle adaptations to cope with the long-term implications.
Heart Attack
The early symptoms of a heart attack may be confused with indigestion or heartburn. Some heart attack patients do not have chest pain at all, putting them at a much higher risk of misdiagnosis.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome shares symptoms with several other conditions, including arthritis, wrist tendonitis and thoracic outlet syndrome. This means that it can frequently be misdiagnosed.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
IBS has a number of abdominal symptoms that resemble other illnesses, meaning that people can both miss an IBS diagnosis or receive one in mistake. This can lead to the delay of appropriate treatment and cause the real illness to worsen.
Lyme Disease
Misdiagnosis of Lyme disease often leads to an incorrect diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. This could lead to an incorrect prescription of antibiotics leading to issues of resistance and a worsening of their actual illness.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Both the symptoms and MRI testing results for MS can look like other conditions, such as strokes and migraines, making it tricky to diagnose correctly. This can often mean that the correct treatment isn’t given until the condition has considerably worsened.
How do I make a misdiagnosis claim?
Making a misdiagnosis claim is a straightforward process with the help of our expert team. By combining years of experience with the care needed to support you in every stage of your claim, our solicitors will work to make your case as stress-free as possible. You can start your claim by following the steps below:
1. Contact specialist solicitors
Contact our specialist team about your misdiagnosis. Their expertise and empathy will help support you through the start of your claim as you gather the necessary information.
2. Review of your case
A member of our team will look closely at the information provided as part of your claim and begin the legal proceedings if they feel there is enough evidence for a smooth win for you.
3. Gathering medical records
We’ll need to look over your medical records in order to assess the negligence and any issues which have arisen as a result.
4. Medical evidence
We will then ask independent medical experts to look at the issue to get an accurate diagnosis and highlight how this may affect you in the short and longer term.
5. Start negotiations
Once everything is in place, we’ll work on your behalf to contact those responsible for your misdiagnosis and discuss the cost of your recovery, any additional treatment, rehabilitation and further compensation.
6. Settlement
Once we’ve finalised negotiations either, with a settlement or through the courts, you’ll receive your compensation.
We’ll handle the paperwork and do all the chasing to help you get through your claim in the shortest time and with as little added stress as possible.
Is there a time limit for submitting a misdiagnosis claim?
There’s usually a three-year time limit for starting a medical negligence claim, whether that’s on behalf of yourself or a loved one who lost their life as a result of a misdiagnosis. This time limit will run from either the date that:
- The misdiagnosis occurred
- You became aware of the misdiagnosis.
However, if the negligence relates to the treatment of a child, or an adult who doesn’t have mental capacity, then the time limits for claiming are different.
- For children – the three-year time limit does not apply until after their 18th birthday
- Adults with a limited mental capacity – no time limit applies to adults without the mental capacity to make their own decisions.
Once you’ve started your claim there’s no time limit to get everything wrapped up. We’ll work with you to get things resolved as quickly as possible, without rushing or compromising on the quality of our work and support.
