Anaesthetic Negligence Claims

Duncan Lewis Anaesthetic Negligence Solicitors

Duncan Lewis Clinical Negligence Solicitors – No win no fee Anaesthetic Mistakes and Error Claims

“I was given too much anaesthetic and went into shock.”

The Royal College of Anaesthetists has drawn up recommended standards of clinical practice for NHS hospitals, to make sure that patient safety is a priority. The Safe Anaesthesia Liaison Group (SALG) also highlights potential patient safety issues to healthcare professionals – and encourages incident reporting to make sure anaesthetists are made aware of potential risks to patient safety.

However, every year some patients do suffer injury as a result of anaesthetic mistakes and errors, including equipment errors, drug dosage errors, human errors – and what the NHS refers to as “human factors” (eg lack of teamwork among medical staff – or medical staff not following established protocol in an emergency situation because of stress).

Mistakes and errors during anaesthesia can lead to a range of injuries – and patients may suffer serious or life changing injuries in certain circumstances, including if airways become obstructed – an emergency situation known as CICV (“can’t intubate, can’t ventilate”) or CICO (“can’t intubate, can’t oxygenate”).

Duncan Lewis clinical negligence solicitors can advise NHS and private patients on making no win no fee Anaesthetic Mistakes and Error Claims, including compensation claims for:

• Anaesthetic dosage errors
• Intubation mistakes and errors
• Failures in anaesthetic delivery
• Patient monitoring errors (eg failing to monitor oxygen during surgery)
• Failure to treat patient complications
• Leaving an anaesthetised patient unattended
• Recovery room errors
• Equipment failures and poor maintenance of anaesthetic equipment
• Failure to equipment checks before and during surgery
• Poor communication between medical staff
• Poor medical care (lack of training, over-tired staff, negligent care)
• Contaminated anaesthesia drugs
• Contaminated anaesthetic delivery equipment.

Common injuries resulting from anaesthesia mistakes and errors include:

• Injuries to mouth and airways
• Dental injuries
• Shock
• Asphyxia
• Infection
• Oxygen deprivation
• Birth injuries
• Brain injury/TBI
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Spinal cord injury/paralysis/loss of bodily functions
• Coma.

Making Medical Negligence Claims for Anaesthetic Mistakes and Errors

Under the UK Limitation Act 1980, clinical negligence claimants have three years from the date of injury in which to make no win no fee Anaesthetic Mistakes and Error Claims.

Children under the age of 18 injured as a result of anaesthetic mistakes and errors can claim compensation up to the age of 21.

Duncan Lewis clinical negligence solicitors can also advise the parent or guardian of a child on how to make a no win no fee claim for anaesthetic negligence before they reach the age of 21 by acting as the child’s Litigation Friend.

In cases in which a loved one has tragically died as a result of anaesthetic mistakes and errors, Duncan Lewis clinical negligence solicitors offer bereaved families sympathetic and expert legal advice on making Fatal Injury Claims for anaesthetic negligence.

Duncan Lewis Clinical Negligence Solicitors – No win no fee Anaesthetic Mistakes and Error Claims

Duncan Lewis clinical negligence solicitors are one of the UK’s leading no win no fee law firms, with a successful track record in Anaesthetic Mistakes and Error Claims.

Because of the limitation period for making medical negligence claims relating to anaesthetic mistakes, Duncan Lewis advises patients to get in touch as soon as possible to discuss making a compensation claim for anaesthetic negligence.

Duncan Lewis clinical negligence solicitors always aim to win maximum compensation for patients who have suffered injury as a result of anaesthetic mistakes and errors – and compensation may include:

• Compensation for pain and suffering
• Compensation for psychological trauma; and
• Special damages (eg out-of-pocket expenses).

For expert legal advice on no win no fee Anaesthetic Mistakes and Error Claims, call Duncan Lewis Clinical Negligence Solicitors on 020 7923 4020.