Professional legal advice for Sepsis Compensation claims
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that must be diagnosed immediately to prevent organ failures. Sepsis kills five people in the UK every single hour. If you or a relative or loved one have developed sepsis, you should take legal advice to determine whether or not it was a result of medical negligence.
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What is Sepsis?
Sepsis (or blood poisoning) arises when your body’s immune system tries to fight against an infection, but for unknown reasons starts attacking your organs and tissues instead.
It is critical that this condition is treated quickly, otherwise your organs can begin to fail and you will be left in a serious condition, or it may ultimately be fatal. However, if caught in time sepsis can be treated through the use of antibiotics.
Symptoms of sepsis can be different in adults and children.
In adults, typical symptoms include:
- Slurred words or confusion
- Extreme shivering
- Muscle pain
- Severe breathlessness
- Discoloured or mottled skin
Whereas in children, typical symptoms will include:
- Fast breathing
- Fits or seizures
- Rashes that do not disappear upon application of pressure
- Fatigue and difficulty waking
If a healthcare professional fails to notice any of these symptoms and properly diagnose sepsis, they put you at significant risk. Sepsis can result in serious lasting conditions, such as post-sepsis syndrome. This is when someone who has suffered from sepsis receives physical or psychological issues, which can affect their daily lives. Their muscles and joints may be weakened, they may struggle to sleep, or suffer from depression or PTSD to name just a few of the possible effects. Amputation of limbs is another severe potential outcome of sepsis.
This is why rapid diagnosis and treatment is crucial for patients to survive and make as full a recovery as possible.
How is sepsis treated?
As sepsis can be so severe, antibiotics are usually needed within the first hour of arriving at hospital to reduce the life threatening effects. After this, other treatments can be implemented. These can vary depending on the circumstances and the severity of your condition.
When can I make a Medical Negligence claim?
In most cases, claims need to be made within three years from when you either suffered negligent care, or three years from when you first discovered your injury. However, this time restriction can vary depending on the circumstances of your case. For example, when making a claim for a child, the three year time restriction begins after the child turn 18 years old. Likewise, someone who lacks mental capacity and cannot make a claim on their own may also be exempt from the restriction.
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How is Medical Negligence advice funded?
There are various options for funding claims. Many of our cases are funded using Conditional Fee Agreements, (also called a ‘No Win No Fee’ agreement). In a Conditional Fee Agreement, you will only pay for our solicitors’ work if we win the case for you. In very limited cases we can offer advice for free thanks to Legal Aid funding. Our solicitors can review and discuss your funding options and help you decide the best route to take.
How can Switalskis help me?
If you have suffered negligent treatment for sepsis you may be in a vulnerable and difficult position. Our team are experienced in helping people not only gain financial compensation, but making you feel at ease with the process and making sure that your voice is heard throughout.
Our team includes solicitors who are accredited as specialists by both The Law Society and the patients’ charity, Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA). We are also recognised as being among the top Clinical Negligence teams in England by the Legal 500 UK, the foremost legal guide for clients.
Call us on 0800 138 0458 or contact us through the website to talk to a medical negligence solicitor about your circumstances.
