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Sepsis is a life-threatening complication of infection which, if untreated, can lead to permanent disability or death. Healthcare professionals are expected to recognise and respond quickly to the symptoms and signs of sepsis because any delays in diagnosis and treatment can be deadly.
If you have suffered severe injury or the loss of a loved one as a result of negligent delays in the diagnosis and treatment of infection or sepsis, we can help you claim compensation.
Our medical negligence specialists have helped clients with severe, permanent disability from sepsis, including multiple amputations and brain injury, secure their entitlement to compensation. We obtain early interim payments and outstanding settlements which pay for rehabilitation and therapies, specialist equipment and prostheses, adaptations to housing, and provide the financial support that our clients need to restore their independence and manage their disability.
Get in touch with our experienced medical negligence solicitors - we can help.
For more than 30 years, Boyes Turner's medical negligence solicitors have guided injured patients through the claims process to secure the compensation and specialist support that they need to manage their disability and rebuild their lives.
You can contact us by telephone or by email for free, confidential advice from a medical negligence solicitor. We will ask you to tell us briefly about your injury and your emergency or medical care, and advise you about your time limits and whether we can help you investigate your claim. Once our investigations confirm you have grounds for a claim, we will notify the defendant healthcare provider (usually represented by NHS Resolution) on your behalf and invite them to respond, giving them an opportunity to admit liability (responsibility for your injuries) before court proceedings are issued.
If liability is admitted, we will obtain a judgment from the court and apply for a substantial interim payment to meet your needs arising from your injury and disability. If NHS Resolution deny liability, we will advise you about the best way to proceed with your claim. This may involve issuing court proceedings or inviting NHS Resolution to enter into settlement negotiations or mediation.
Partner, Medical negligence
Our medical negligence claims lawyers have secured a £2.5 million compensation settlement for the family of a woman who died after GP surgery and hospital staff failed to diagnose and treat her pneumonia.
We investigated and put the claim to both the hospital and the GP surgery whose repeated mistakes, missed opportunities to review, refer for respiratory specialist advice or correctly diagnose the deceased led to her avoidable death.
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The team that worked my case we're all friendly and helpful, honest and transparent, just what you need in a legal team. They explained everything in a manner I understand and always kept me up to date on progress. If I need a legal team again I will not hesitate to contact Boyes Turner.
I thoroughly recommend Boyes Turner. I cannot thank them enough for the effort they have put in for my son and our family. From the outset Richard and his team have been straightforward, knowledgeable, patient and considerate and throughout the whole process have had my son's best interests at heart.
I was guided through the process by Julie and her excellent team with just the right degree of involvement. Not too little, not too much. A very welcome pair of hands to hold on to.
I cannot thank Julie Marsh and the team at Boyes Turner enough for taking on my case, believing in me and my claim and tirelessly fighting my corner for a positive outcome. My case was handled with personal care, up most professionalism and attention throughout. I was always kept up to date with progress, felt valued and heard. I highly recommend and I am eternally grateful.
Boyes Turner managed my fathers compensation settlement case as a result of failings in care. This was a very difficult situation for our family and Boyes Turner managed the whole process with complete professionalism and compassion. If you are unfortunate enough to require similar assistance I would highly recommend their team. The case was closed with an out of court settlement, we received a letter of apology alongside reassurances that lessons would be learnt which was of particular importance to us.
Sepsis is a serious complication of infection which can lead to multiple organ failure and death. Sepsis often develops from infections in the lungs (pneumonia), urinary tract, abdomen and pelvis, but it can arise from infection in any part of the body. Sepsis can affect anyone, and often does so without warning, overwhelming the body’s immune system within a matter of hours.
Sepsis can be difficult to diagnose but is treatable if caught early. In some cases, if sepsis is recognised in its very early stages before the infection has spread or caused damage to other areas of the body, it can be treatable with oral antibiotics without hospital admission.
‘Severe sepsis’ and ‘septic shock’ are medical emergencies. Severe sepsis is where the body’s organs or the blood and oxygen supply to the tissues are affected. Septic shock is where the blood pressure drops to a dangerously low level. These severe forms of sepsis require immediate admission to hospital and emergency treatment with intravenous (IV) antibiotics.
Sepsis is usually caused by bacterial infection, but can sometimes develop from viral or fungal infections. Septicaemia or ‘blood poisoning’ refers to when large numbers of bacteria enter the bloodstream. Septicaemia often accompanies meningitis. Sepsis can affect multiple organs or the whole body, with or without septicaemia.
Sepsis can be caused by infection in any part of the body. The original infection which caused the sepsis cannot always be found. The body’s immune system usually manages to keep any infection within one area of the body. Tissue swelling (inflammation) helps prevent the infection from spreading whilst the white blood cells attack and destroy the germs which are causing the infection. Where the patient’s immune system is weak, or the infection is very severe, the infection spreads to other areas of the body. When this happens, the immune system reacts, causing inflammation throughout the body. This interferes with the blood supply, leading to a dangerous drop in blood pressure (septic shock) and lack of oxygen supply to the organs and tissues.
Sepsis can affect anyone who has had any type of infection. Sepsis often develops during or after a stay in hospital, particularly after the patient has undergone surgery, had a urinary catheter or been in hospital for a long time. Bacterial hospital-acquired (iatrogenic) infections, such as MRSA, are often more dangerous than other infections, because the bacteria which causes them has often developed resistance to many antibiotics.
The risk of sepsis increases:
The NHS advises that you should call 999 or take your child to A&E immediately if they have any of the following symptoms:
You should seek urgent medical advice if your baby or young child:
Early sepsis symptoms in older children and adults may include:
Many of the signs and symptoms of sepsis are similar to meningitis. You can read more about meningitis on our meningitis negligence claims page.
Signs and symptoms of more advanced sepsis or septic shock can include:
Severe sepsis and septic shock are medical emergencies. Delays in treatment can result in death or permanent, severe disability. If you or your child has symptoms or signs of sepsis, you should call 999 or go to A&E immediately.
Treatment for sepsis depends on where and how the infection began (if known) and the nature and extent of the damage that has already been done. Treatment usually involves hospital referral and/or admission, IV (intravenous) antibiotics at first, with oral antibiotics continuing after initial treatment.
Hospital treatment for sepsis is sometimes known as the “sepsis 6” because three diagnostic tests and three treatments should all be initiated by the medical team within an hour of diagnosis. These include taking blood to identify the bacterial cause and the severity of the sepsis, and monitoring the patient’s urine, and giving antibiotics, IV fluids and oxygen (if needed).
Other tests (to identify the type of infection) include samples of urine and stools, saliva/phlegm/mucus, and wound cultures, as well as imaging with X-rays, CT or ultrasound scans, and blood pressure tests.
Emergency hospital treatment may involve admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) if the sepsis is severe or there is septic shock.
If sepsis is correctly diagnosed and treated at an early stage, most people recover fully without lasting consequences. If left untreated, the patient may develop severe sepsis (affecting the organs or reducing the blood/oxygen supply to the tissues) and septic shock (dangerously low blood pressure). Severe sepsis and septic shock are life-threatening medical emergencies.
We have recovered compensation for patients and their families after negligent delays and treatment for sepsis resulted in:
Correct medical treatment for sepsis requires prompt recognition of the patient’s signs of sepsis, urgent administration of intravenous (IV) antibiotics and input from senior doctors at an early stage.
Sepsis medical negligence claims often involve the death or serious injury of a patient from sepsis as a result of one or more of the following medical errors:
The amount of compensation that each client receives depends on the extent of their injury and its impact on their life, based on their individual circumstances.
We have helped clients who have been severely injured by sepsis negligence recover compensation for:
Where sepsis negligence has caused the death of a parent or partner, the bereaved family and dependants may be able to recover compensation for:
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