Professional negligence solicitors

Professional negligence solicitors

For finding answers and getting justice

If you worked with a solicitor to make a medical negligence or personal injury compensation claim and they didn’t handle your case properly, we can help. In some cases, you have a legal right to compensation, and your solicitor should always strive to secure the maximum possible settlement for you. If your previous solicitors were negligent in the way they handled your case, you might be entitled to compensation from them.

In these cases, it’s important to take action and speak to professional negligence solicitors about putting things right.

At Switalskis, we understand how difficult it can be to learn that the outcome of your claim has been affected by the negligence of your lawyer. This may have meant your claim was undervalued or important deadlines were missed. Our solicitors can help you to make a professional negligence claim and seek compensation for the losses you suffered.

For the expert legal help you need, contact our professional negligence solicitors today. Call Switalskis on 0800 138 0458 or get in touch through our website to start your journey towards justice.

Call us on 0800 1380 458 or get in touch through the website to talk about your circumstances, and take the first step towards justice.

How Switalskis can help

The team at Switalskis is dedicated to pursuing compensation claims for people who have been harmed by the negligence of their solicitors. We know that when you’ve been let down by a solicitor in the past, it can be hard to take anything at face value. That’s why we’ll work closely alongside you to learn what went wrong, find out more about your circumstances and understand what you want to achieve. That way, we can tailor our services to meet your needs and fight for the best possible outcome.

Once we’ve discussed what happened to you and decided to proceed with a compensation claim, we’ll begin gathering and reviewing evidence. This will include all of the documents relating to your initial claim, witness evidence and medical records that show the nature of the illness or injury you suffered. That way, we’ll be able to assess whether your previous solicitor might have been negligent, and if so, how much compensation you should receive.

In situations like these, we will support you throughout the claim and attempt to get the answers you need.

Read what our clients had to say about the help they received from Switalskis

What is professional negligence?

Professional negligence refers to the failure of any professional person to carry out their particular skills or services to a standard that would be considered acceptable to others in their field. In the context of medical negligence or personal injury claims, the most common mistakes that might be considered to amount to negligence involve missing key deadlines or undervaluing a claim.

The negligence of a solicitor in the conduct of a medical negligence claim usually falls into either of these categories:

  • Failing to do something in time: most claims have a time limit. For clinical negligence claims, there is a period of three years in which a person can make a claim. Court proceedings are started by issuing a claim form, which should be sent to the defendant within four months. There are then various other deadlines by which other steps must be taken. If your lawyer didn’t meet the relevant time limits, and this caused the failure of your claim, then a professional negligence claim might be appropriate.
  • Not claiming for, or not obtaining, enough compensation: in some cases, determining the proper amount of compensation can be a very complex exercise, involving a great deal of evidence, including that of expert witnesses. It might be that your solicitor has been negligent in overlooking a major aspect of financial loss, instructing an inappropriate expert, or wrongly advising that a particular item of loss can’t be claimed from the defendant.
  • Suing the wrong defendant: in some cases, a solicitor might bring a legal case against the wrong organisation or person, such as against a general practitioner, when the NHS Trust should have been sued instead. Sometimes, by the time this is realised, it’s too late to correct the mistake and the case fails. In this circumstance, it might be possible to bring a professional negligence claim against the solicitor.
  • Inadequate liability investigations: investigating personal injury and particularly medical negligence cases can be a very complicated exercise, requiring a comprehensive understanding of the relevant medicine and, sometimes, a wide range of expert evidence. Solicitors occasionally make mistakes by misunderstanding what the case is really about, by instructing unsuitable experts, or by failing to apply the proper legal tests. If this results in a worse outcome than you would have achieved otherwise, this might amount to professional negligence.
  • Post-settlement negligence: even once a case has been won, a solicitor might still be negligent if they give poor advice about the management of the compensation. For example, it might be considered negligent for a solicitor to fail to advise their client that they could set up a personal injury trust to protect their entitlement to state benefits.

If you believe your previous solicitor made serious mistakes in your claim and that this caused the claim to fail, or caused you to be awarded significantly less than you otherwise would have, contact our team to discuss professional negligence compensation.

How does the professional negligence claims process work?

At Switalskis, we understand the importance of communication. We want to make sure you understand the process and how it works. The professional negligence claims process won’t always move smoothly and steadily, but we will always need to follow these steps:

Step 1: Initial consultation

Contact Switalskis for a free, no-obligation initial consultation. During this call, we’ll establish what’s happened, understand your concerns and explain whether we think your previous solicitor might have been negligent. If you decide to proceed, we can then discuss the next steps and the available funding options.

Step 2: Establishing your claim

We’ll gather all the relevant information we need to build your case. We will start by obtaining your previous solicitor’s file and reviewing this in detail to identify whether they made any serious errors and whether these might amount to negligence. If so, we will then have to consider very carefully whether that negligence might have caused your original claim to fail or resulted in you receiving less compensation than you should have done.

Step 3: Notifying the defendant

If we think you have suffered loss as a result of their negligence, we’ll send a letter of claim to the solicitor who let you down. This will outline the details of the claim and set out our allegations of negligence.

Step 4: Defendant response

The defendant will then investigate the allegations made against them and respond to the letter of claim, which is known as a letter of response. This letter will include whether the defendant admits or denies liability. The next steps will depend on the defendant’s response to the case against them.

Step 5: Settlement and compensation

If the defendant admits fault, we’ll carry out further work to determine how much compensation you should receive as a result of their negligence. This will be calculated based on factors like the original injury and any pain and suffering you experienced, any financial losses or expenses you experienced as a result, and the compensation you initially received through your negligent solicitor. Once that has been done, negotiations can start. Our professional negligence solicitors will negotiate on your behalf, using their expertise and experience to secure the highest possible compensation for you.

Step 6: Court proceedings (where necessary)

Most claims will be settled through negotiation, without needing to go to court. In the rare instances where the case does go to trial, you can trust us to represent you throughout the process.

At Switalskis, we pride ourselves on clear communication with our clients and we’ll always be available to answer any questions you might have. Thanks to our openness, you can be certain that we’re on your side and working to secure the maximum amount of compensation that you’re entitled to receive.

How much compensation could I be entitled to?

There are lots of factors that affect how much compensation you might be awarded. All of the following should have been considered by your original solicitor about your medical negligence or personal injury claim:

  • Loss of earnings
  • Loss of pension
  • Disadvantage in the labour market
  • Loss of job satisfaction
  • Housing costs
  • Care and assistance
  • Help you need to perform household tasks
  • Mobility and transport
  • Medical treatment, medical care and expenses

If your solicitor failed to account for all of these circumstances and you received less compensation than you should have, we can help. Get in touch with the team at Switalskis to find out how we can help make things right.

Is there a professional negligence time limit?

If you are to bring a professional negligence claim, you must do so within six years of the negligence happening or, in some cases, within three years of the date that you found out about your solicitor’s negligence. There is also a ‘long-stop’ of 15 years from the date of the negligence. A case cannot be started later than this, regardless of when the negligence or loss was discovered.

This is known as the limitation period, and it is important to begin the claims process before this deadline passes so that you don’t lose your right to claim.

The best approach is to contact us as soon as you become aware of a problem, and we can advise you on the deadlines that may apply in your unique circumstances.

Contact us today and let's start your journey towards recovery together. Call us today on 0800 1380 458, or get in touch via our form.

Our professional negligence solicitors

Photo of Suzanne Munroe
Suzanne MunroeDirector and Solicitor
Photo of Sarah Walker
Sarah WalkerDirector and Solicitor
Photo of Charlotte Reeves
Charlotte ReevesDirector and Solicitor
Photo of Kay Barnes
Kay BarnesDirector and Solicitor
Photo of David Thomas
David ThomasDirector and Chartered Legal Executive
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Why Switalskis?

At Switalskis, we’re led by our care for our clients and the effort we put into understanding their needs. We set ourselves apart from other law firms by treating you like a person, not just a client, and we make sure we’re always striving for the outcome that you want.

So, even if you’ve had a negative experience working with a solicitor in the past, we can assure you that we’ll do everything we can to earn your trust and push your professional negligence claim towards a successful resolution. In that spirit, we’re committed to the following principles, which guide all of the work we do for our clients.

Clarity in complexity

The language used in legal proceedings can be confusing and unclear to anyone who isn't an expert. Our team will break things down into clear, simple terms to make sure you understand the progress your claim is making. That way, you won’t have to deal with uncertainty and you can feel confident in the claims process.

Empathy at every step

The team at Switalskis will never think of you as ‘just’ a client. We know that you’ve been let down in the past, and that can make it much harder to continue the pursuit of justice in the future. That’s why we go beyond offering strong legal advice, and will also provide any support you need to make it through this process without unnecessary stress or worry.

Expertise you can trust

Our professional negligence solicitors have built a reputation in the industry over many years. As experienced lawyers ourselves, we recognise the professional standards that clinical negligence solicitors must uphold. That means we know what professional negligence looks like and how to prove it. So, you can trust us to do whatever it takes to reach the best possible outcome for your claim.

Championing your rights

If your original case was conducted incompetently, there can be serious consequences. We’ll uphold your rights at all times and make sure your voice is heard.

We can support you in the following medical negligence situations

Find out how Switalskis can help you

If you believe that your solicitor was negligent in the service they provided, and you have suffered financial loss as a result, you should contact the team at Switalskis today to learn more about professional negligence claims. Call us on 0800 1380 458 or get in touch through the website for a free initial chat about your situation.

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