Orthopaedic Injury Claims
If an orthopaedic injury isn’t treated correctly, it can make matters much worse. It could prolong the recovery time, or worse still make a full recovery impossible. If you believe that negligent treatment has affected your recovery from such an injury, you may be entitled to claim for compensation. We aim to make the process as clear and simple as possible for you.
Our specialist team provides expert legal advice in different languages to clients who have been involved in medical negligence claims, including orthopaedic injuries. They operate on a No Win No Fee basis, meaning that you won’t pay any fees unless your case is successful.
How can orthopaedic injuries arise?
Orthopaedic injuries include breaks and fractures of bones, as well as injuries to the supporting system of muscles, ligaments and tendons. These injuries can affect your mobility and often need a carefully-planned regime of treatment and rehabilitation to get you back to normal.
Such injuries are typically caused by an accident for example a road traffic accident, or a workplace accident such as a slip, trip or fall. However, in some extreme cases the injury could even occur during a medical procedure to address a problem elsewhere.
Common claims include:
- Operations to replace joints such as the hip, knee or elbow
- Ineffective treatment of ruptured ligaments
- Bunion operations failing to align toes correctly
- Fractures overlooked without carrying out X-rays
How could negligence affect an orthopaedic injury?
In medical treatment, negligence refers to an error (for example, carrying out the wrong treatment) or an omission (failing to carry out necessary tests or x-rays) on the part of the medical practitioner. They must carry out all of the actions that would reasonably be expected, of a medical professional in their specialism.
Orthopaedic injuries are far from simple, because the bones, joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons all play some sort of role in your movement and a holistic approach to treatment and rehabilitation is needed for a full recovery. However, a medical professional owes a duty of care to all patients to ensure that they are safe and able to make a full recovery.
Under this duty of care, they should assess all aspects of your injury and medical history before commencing any treatment. Failure to do so could amount to negligence. In orthopaedic injuries, the most common forms of negligence include misdiagnosis, missed fractures, failure to carry out x-rays and using incorrect components for joint replacements.
If you’ve been affected by these or any other form of negligence relating to an orthopaedic injury, we strongly recommend that you contact us for legal advice.
How much compensation might I receive for an orthopaedic injury?
The amount of compensation you receive very much depends on your specific circumstances and the extent of any negligence. That’s why we recommend that you get in touch with us promptly so that we can discuss the details of your injury with you.
You may be able to claim for the following if they are a direct result of your injuries:
- Compensation for distress and upheaval
- Loss of earnings and financial losses incurred
- Medical costs, prescription fees, care and rehabilitation costs
- Adaptations to your home or vehicle
- Damage to your property
- Travel expenses incurred
We can help you assess your future needs and work with you to agree the level of compensation that you may be entitled to as a result of your orthopaedic injury.
Do I have a valid claim for compensation?
If you can answer yes to all three of the following questions, we recommend that you contact us to discuss your circumstances further:
- Was the incident within the last three years?
- Was someone else to blame for the incident?
- Were you injured as a result of the incident?
Answering ‘yes’ to all three doesn’t mean that a successful claim is certain. However, these questions are key to the claims process. Answering yes to all three does indicate that you have a greater chance of being entitled to claim. Getting prompt, specialist legal advice could be beneficial.
Because of the three-year time limit, it’s important that you contact us promptly so that we can start the process for you.
How do I begin a compensation claim for an orthopaedic injury?
Call us on 0208 1111 911 or contact us through the website and we’ll discuss your circumstances with you. The first call typically takes about 15 minutes and in that time we can usually determine whether or not it’s realistic to pursue a claim for compensation.
