If you have experienced a medication error and need expert legal guidance on making a claim then contact our free legal helpline for a case assessment and details of no win, no fee funding.
Anticoagulants, or “blood thinners”, are given to many patients to prevent them from developing blood clots. They are commonly administered to those who have a higher risk of suffering a stroke or a heart attack. However, while the use of this type of medication is commonplace, it is not without risk and occasionally mistakes are made that can cause patients to suffer injury or even death.
Sophie Townsend, who is a member of our clinical negligence team, has recently recovered compensation from a hospital Trust for a gentleman who had been administered an extra dose of anticoagulation therapy. Although the hospital Trust did admit that they gave an extra dosage of anticoagulation therapy, they initially denied that it caused any harm.
If a patient is prescribed anticoagulation medication, it is very important that their clotting levels are reviewed by medical professionals to ensure that their blood is of the right consistency. If the blood is too thick it can cause an individual to suffer a stroke, or a blood clot. Alternatively, if the blood is too thin, the patient may suffer an internal bleed which, if it cannot be stopped, may lead to death. The effect of overdosing or stopping anticoagulants very quickly can also have catastrophic effects.
In this case Sophie was able to establish that the medication error was directly responsible for the patient’s suffering and an out of court compensation settlement was agreed.
If you have suffered an injury due to incorrect administration of anticoagulants or any other hospital medication error, you could claim compensation. In addition to receiving compensation for your suffering you may also be entitled to recover the cost of any additional care needs, housing adaptations, therapies and any lost earnings.
If you lose a loved one you may be able to pursue a claim in respect of their death. We appreciate that no amount of money will bring them back, but if you have been financially affected by their death, this can be taken into consideration in your claim.
It is important to remember that you must bring a clinical negligence claim within three years of the date of the error, or three years from when you first knew about that error, so it is important to act quickly.