Clinical negligence solicitors in Leicester

This is a directory-only area: we list firms but don’t pass on clinical negligence enquiries or take any payment connected with them.

Clinical negligence claims arise where a doctor, nurse, dentist or other healthcare professional provides treatment that falls below an acceptable standard, and that causes harm that wouldn’t otherwise have happened. Common examples include delayed diagnosis, surgical errors, medication errors, birth injuries and failures to refer.

What you need to prove

• Breach of duty: the treatment fell below the standard of a responsible body of medical opinion in that field.
• Causation: the breach caused the injury, or made it worse, rather than the underlying condition.

Both usually need independent expert medical evidence, and causation is often the harder part.

Complaints and claims

Many people start with a complaint. For hospitals in Leicester, that means University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust’s complaints process, or PALS for help. A complaint can provide your records and explanations, which are useful if you later claim. The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman can review complaints that aren’t resolved.

The claim itself

Your solicitor obtains your medical records, instructs experts, and sends a letter of claim under the Pre-Action Protocol for the Resolution of Clinical Disputes. The defendant then has time to investigate and respond. Many claims settle; some go to court.

Funding

Most claims are run on a no win, no fee basis. Legal aid is available in limited cases, mainly for serious birth injuries to babies. Choose a firm with specialist clinical negligence experience; this is technical work.

Common questions