If you suffered injury or infection to your brain, spinal cord or any of the peripheral nerves in your arms, legs or muscles as a result of a medical procedure, you may be able to make a neurology compensation claim.
The medical and clinical negligence solicitors at Lanyon Bowdler can assist you in the event you wish to complain or seek compensation. For legal advice on making a clinical or medical negligence claim please contact Kay Kelly, Head of Clinical Negligence or one of her team on freephone 0800 954 9936.
What is Neurology?
A Neurologist is trained to investigate, diagnose and treat a wide range of neurological disorders including:
- Traumatic brain injuries and tumours;
- Headaches and migraines;
- Epilepsy and seizures;
- Memory problems and disorders of intellect such as Alzheimer’s and forms of dementia;
- Stroke and Transient Ischaemic attacks (TIA);
- Facial pain;
- Dizziness and blackouts;
- Parkinson’s disease, tremors and disorders affecting movement;
- Multiple Sclerosis and other inflammatory disorders of the nervous system;
- Balance disorders;
- Tingling, pins and needles and numbness;
- Muscle weakness, pains and cramps;
- Sleep disorders;
Many Neurologists specialise in one or more of the above disorders. A large area of their work involves neurological examinations and observations such as assessing muscle strength and movement, balance and reflexes, sensation, memory and speech and other cognitive abilities.
During medical examinations neurologists use a variety of diagnostic tests, including:
- CAT (computed axial tomography) scan
- MRI/MRA (magnetic resonance imaging/ magnetic resonance angiography)
- Lumbar puncture (spinal tap)
- EEG (electroencephalography)
- EMG/NVC (electromyography/nerve conduction velocity)
The accuracy of these tests and their reporting is essential to this area of medicine. An instance of medical negligence at the diagnostic stage can have a devastating effect on the patient.
Making a Neurology Compensation Claim
Some of the most devastating clinical negligence claims are those which involve neurological injury to the brain or spine. Many clinical negligence claims in this area involve a failure to diagnose crucial conditions, meaning that doctors either fail to administer the correct treatment or administer the wrong kind of treatment, with catastrophic consequences for the patient.
Previous neurology compensation cases we have dealt with have included the following oversights on the part of the medical professional involved:
- Failing to test adequately and consequently misdiagnosing a subarachnoid haemorrhage, causing permanent brain damage.
- Failing to adequately manage medication for epilepsy.
- Failure to diagnose a brain tumour.
- Failure to diagnose and treat spinal conditions causing permanent incontinence and disability.
- Failure to identify and treat drug toxicity causing tremors and seizures leading to death.
- Failure to manage multiple sclerosis causing exacerbation of disability.
The treatment itself could have been negligent, or the operations negligently performed by neurosurgeons. Occasionally the patient may not have provided what is known as 'informed consent' to a surgical procedure, or course of treatment, and can allege that if they had been made fully aware of the risks involved they would not have provided their consent.
When acting for an injured person, the role of clinical negligence solicitor is to establish the extent of the injury and how it was caused. The lawyer must therefore ensure that all relevant medical and ancillary experts are involved in assessing the injury at the earliest available opportunity, and must then work with them throughout the case.
Contact Lanyon Bowdler
If you or someone you know has suffered from a neurological disorder and would like legal advice in relation to a potential clinical negligence claim, one of our team would be happy to discuss this with you.
For a free consultation call 0800 954 9936 or complete our enquiry form.