Help With Medical Negligence Compensation Claims Abroad

There is a reasonable expectation of the duty of care owed by medical professionals to their patients that is should be to the highest standards and be consistent, irrespective of where you are in the world. The current coronavirus pandemic has sharpened the awareness of medical risk in hospitals, generally. The importance of scrupulous medical care by highly qualified professionals has been strongly been brought into focus.  Botched surgery; ineffective treatment following an accident; late or misdiagnosis of injuries received overseas, as well as preventable infections acquired in hospitals are all avoidable and you are entitled to make a claim for compensation in such circumstances.  

Experiencing an accident or illness abroad when you are hundreds of miles from home is distressing enough but to then recognise that the medical care you have received has harmed you is very disturbing. All too frequently a sudden medical emergency abroad evolves into a situation where medical standards slip, unnoticed, resulting in avoidable harm to the patient; the language barrier often amplifies the situation. It is quite possible that in the crisis of your emergency you or anyone with, you fails to immediately recognise that your treatment in the foreign hospital was in fact negligent. Often this only becomes apparent once you are back at home.

The period of time within which you must bring a claim for compensation varies quite widely from country to country; in the UK the time limit is three years but in some countries it is a lot less.  It is never too soon to start a claim as the repercussions arising from medical negligence can have a profound effect on your health and ability to work, in some cases, for the foreseeable future.

It is understandable that an injured person wishes to focus on their recovery and may be daunted by the prospect of undertaking a cross-border claim.  Giambrone’s personal injury team has expert lawyers in the UK as well as lawyers in Spain, throughout Italy and Tunisia, a claim for compensation for medical negligence or an accident can be managed through the City of London office with no need to travel and in English. Another key factor is cost and there are funding options, dependent on the circumstances of the situation, which may be able to be of assistance.

Another area of medicine that can end badly is powered by the rise of advertising campaigns aimed at encouraging individuals to go abroad and undergo a range of elective medical procedures on a private basis has led to a surge in clinical negligence cases. Typically advertisements indicate that a patient can have a supposed medical consultation in their home country prior to travelling overseas for surgery or a dental procedure some other medical process with the assurance of aftercare in their home country on their return.  Often cosmetic surgery is offered at a considerably reduced cost which makes it highly unlikely that the promised results can actually be achieved. Increasingly, individuals are lured abroad for medical care which unfortunately results in pain and suffering and long term damage for the patient.

Our lawyers advise carrying out considerably due diligence before accepting any medical procedures abroad, as well as undertaking considerable research into the success rate of the type of surgery or other procedure that you are considering.