If you have been left with life-altering complications as a result of Cauda Equina Syndrome, you will undoubtedly be concerned about how you are going to support yourself financially in future. After all, it is likely that your ability to work has been severely compromised, leaving you in financial dire straits.
If this has happened to you, you may be able to claim employment and support allowance, a source of financial support for anyone who cannot work because of illness or disability. However, this can only go so far, and will not cover your outgoings if you were previously earning a substantial wage.
Nevertheless, there may be something else you can do, as you might be able to make a medical negligence claim. Cauda Equina Syndrome has a disproportionately high number of claims considering how rare the condition is. This is because a patient’s prognosis is entirely dependent upon the speed at which medical professionals diagnose and treat the condition. If medical errors cause a delay, meaning a patient sustain irreparable injury, the standard of care will be deemed unacceptable.
Anyone who has been harmed because of medical incompetence will, as the victim of medical negligence, be entitled to pursue a compensation claim. Therefore if you believe your Cauda Equina Syndrome was badly managed by doctors, causing you to suffer permanent complications, you need to speak to a solicitor.
What does medical negligence compensation cover?
Although compensation will not give you your health back, it will at least fulfil the following two functions:-
1. Compensate you for the pain and suffering you have wrongfully endured (covered in your General Damages);
2. Put you back in the financial position you were in before the negligence occurred (covered in your Special Damages).
It is the second point – the Special Damages – which will ensure you are not left out of pocket because of the negligence you have experienced. Your solicitor will calculate everything you have lost thus far (including your loss of earnings, the cost of medical treatment, the expense of employing domestic assistance and such) and the money you are likely to lose in the future (such as the loss of your future earnings). This will be set out in a Schedule of Damages and, as long as your claim is successful, will be included in your compensation settlement.
Need to talk to a solicitor?
If you would like to talk to a solicitor about claiming compensation for Cauda Equina Syndrome, do not hesitate to contact us at the Cauda Equina Solicitors. We would be more than happy to help you obtain the financial redress to which you are legally entitled, thereby ensuring you and your loved ones are protected in the years to come.