Medical Negligence Solicitors in Bristol

Having your health harmed as the result of medical errors can be very painful, traumatic and upsetting. You and your loved ones may find yourselves living with long term consequences for your health, wellbeing and lifestyle. In such cases, claiming compensation can be an essential step to help you cope with the consequences of negligent medical treatment.

At Novum Law, we want to make the process of claiming medical negligence compensation as simple, straightforward and stress-free as we can. Our specialist medical negligence solicitors in Bristol are here to guide you through the whole process with sensitivity and clear, practical advice, helping you to get the compensation you deserve.

We can also help you get answers about exactly what went wrong and, where possible, secure an apology from the healthcare provider responsible and work to make sure nobody else has to go through the same experience you have.

There are strict time limits for making a medical negligence claim, so if you believe you may be owed compensation, please do not delay finding out.

No win, no fee medical negligence claims in Bristol

All of our medical negligence claims are funded on a No Win No Fee basis, so there is no upfront cost, hidden fees or financial risk when you pursue a claim with Novum Law.

Local service, national expertise

Our Bristol office allows us to offer a convenient local service for clients through the South West. We also have local offices in Cardiff, the Isle of Wight, Plymouth, Salisbury, Southampton and Swindon for clients further afield.

Many claims settled out of court

Our team is very skilled at securing maximum settlements outside of court proceedings for even the most complicated medical negligence claims. This can allow you to get compensation much faster as well as being less stressful.

Have a question about medical negligence claims?

Looking for general information about medical negligence claims and how they work? Please take a look at our FAQs.

Speak to our medical negligence specialists in Bristol now

If you believe you or a loved one might be entitled to medical negligence compensation, please contact our friendly experts on
01179 309 599 or online for a free, no obligation chat.

Our expertise with all types of medical negligence claims

Our team of specialist medical negligence lawyers have many years of experience dealing  with all types of medical negligence claims, including against the NHS and private medical providers.

We can offer effective representation for claims related to issues including:

• Misdiagnosis claims
• Delayed diagnosis claims
• Surgical negligence
• Gynaecological negligence and pregnancy negligence
• Birth injury
• Accident and Emergency negligence
• Hospital-acquired infections
• GP and community healthcare negligence
• Prescription errors
• Defective medical products, prescriptions and medicines
• Cosmetic surgery negligence
• Brain and Head injury claims
• Spinal injury claims
• Multiple fracture injury claims
• Amputation and loss of limb claims
• Fatal injury claims
• Loss of sight claims
• Nerve injury claims
• Chronic pain claims
• Hospital negligence claims
• Covid-19 and medical negligence claims
• Late Cancer diagnosis claims
• Late Cancer treatment claims
• Sepsis claims
• Stroke Misdiagnosis

How we can help with medical negligence claims in Bristol

Starting a medical negligence claim

We want to give you the information you need to make a decision about pursuing a claim without putting you under any pressure. To this end, we offer a free, no obligation initial consultation with our team.

This normally happens over the phone or through videoconferencing, but we can also work via email if you prefer. We will be happy to answer your questions, as well as giving our opinion on whether you may be owed compensation and the potential level of damages available.

During this initial consultation, we will explain how the claims process works and the next steps you need to take if you wish to make a claim. You will then have all the information you need to decide what you want to do, with no pressure from us to pursue a claim unless you are completely sure that is the right choice for you and your loved ones.

Proving that you are owed medical negligence compensation

The first step in any medical negligence claim is proving that you are owed compensation. We will need to show that you were owed a duty of care by the clinical professionals you hold responsible for your injuries and that this duty of care was breached.

Proving medical negligence relies on various different types of evidence, including witness testimony, medical records and examination by independent medical experts. Our team have the expertise to ensure all of the necessary points are covered, giving you the strongest possible foundation for your claim.

Calculating the level of damages you are owed

Exactly how much you are entitled to will depend on the effect of your injuries on your life, covering both the financial and non-financial consequences. This will take into account the impact of your injuries so far and the expected future impact (e.g. being unable to return to work).

Calculating this is known as ‘assessing quantum’ or ‘assessing quantum of damages’.

The goal of compensation is to ‘put things right’ as much as possible, so can cover financial matters such as:

• Medical fees
• Rehabilitation services
• Counselling
• Specialist equipment
• Home adaptations
• Lost income (to date and for the future)

Medical negligence compensation can also cover your pain and suffering, as well as loss of amenity (i.e. not being able to carry out activities you previously could).

Out-of-court settlements for medical negligence

In almost all cases, we are able to get the maximum possible compensation for our clients without resorting to court proceedings. This not only avoids stress and uncertainty, but also usually means you will get compensation faster.

Court proceedings for medical negligence

In some rare cases, it may be necessary to initiate court proceedings to ensure you get the compensation to which you are entitled.

Should this prove necessary, we have established relationships with a number of specialist barristers we can call on to ensure you have the best possible representation. We will also be there to provide personal support to you at every stage of proceedings.

Transferring an existing medical negligence claim to Novum Law

We are often contacted by people who have started a medical negligence compensation claim with another law firm and are concerned about the results achieved, or the lack of progress. This might be that the claims process seems to be taking too long or that a settlement has been reached that does not meet the claimant’s needs.

In such circumstances, getting a second opinion can give you peace of mind and let you know if a better outcome might be possible. Our medical negligence solicitors in Bristol will be happy to provide a second opinion and take on your case if we believe we can do better.

Experience has shown us that, where we have taken over cases in the past, we are often able to get a significantly higher settlement and/or secure compensation faster for clients.

Find out more about transferring your medical negligence claim to Novum Law.

Funding your medical negligence claim

Should you choose to pursue a medical negligence claim with our team, it will be funded through a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This is often called ‘No Win No Fee’ funding.

Benefits of no win, no fee medical negligence claims include:

• No upfront cost to start a claim
• We won’t charge you anything unless we win compensation for you
• There is no financial risk to you in pursuing a claim

We will be happy to discuss exactly how No Win No Fee funding works during your initial consultation, including how our fees are calculated and the need for After the Event Insurance to cover any third-party costs.

Find out more about our No Win No Fee funding

Time limits for medical negligence claims

There is a standard three-year time limit for making a medical negligence claim, although this does not apply in all circumstances, so you may sometimes have longer to claim.

Any time limit will be counted from the ‘date of knowledge’ which is the date upon which you were aware of both of the following:

1. You or a loved one had suffered an injury when undergoing medical treatment.
2. This injury was potentially caused by medical negligence.

Situations where you may have longer to claim include:

If the claimant is under 18 – The three-year time limit only applies once they turn 18, giving a final deadline of their 21^st birthday.

If the claimant does not have the mental capacity to make their own claim – There is no time limit for someone else to claim on their behalf.

Fatal medical negligence claims – Where someone died due to medical negligence, their dependants or a representative of their estate will normally have three years from the date of death to claim.

Please note: different time limits may apply for injuries or illnesses sustained abroad.

Find out more about time limits for compensation claims.

Book your free initial consultation with our medical negligence solicitors in Bristol

If you believe you or a loved one might be entitled to medical negligence compensation, please contact our friendly experts on
01179 309 599 or online for a free, no obligation chat.