Meningitis Negligence Claims

Meningitis is an extremely serious condition which, if not identified and treated promptly and effectively, can cause life-altering injuries or even death. A delay of just a few hours in the diagnosis and treatment of meningitis can have devastating consequences, so any errors in the medical care provided can be critical.

If you believe negligent treatment of meningitis has resulted in long-term harm to you, your child or another loved one, you may be able to claim compensation to help deal with the consequences. Meningitis negligence claims are usually highly complicated, so having expert legal advice is essential.

Wolferstans’ medical negligence solicitors have been supporting individuals and families with meningitis compensation claims for many years. We know how difficult a situation this can be to deal with, so can provide the empathetic but highly practical support you need to secure a fair outcome for you and your loved ones.

We will offer a clear assessment of your claim’s strength and likely value at the outset, allowing you to make an informed decision about whether to proceed and helping to avoid the risk of you settling your claim for less than it may truly be worth.

Our team are particularly skilled in non-confrontational dispute resolution, meaning we can usually resolve claims outside of a court hearing in most cases. This is not only less stressful for you, but is also typically faster and less expensive.

We offer a free initial no obligation consultation during which we will be able to tell you if you have a claim worth investigating further.

To arrange your consultation please contact the new client team on 01752 292204.

Our meningitis compensation claims service

We help clients across England and Wales to pursue compensation for all types of meningitis compensation claims, including those related to:

Viral meningitis
Bacterial meningitis
Meningococcal septicaemia (blood infection)

Types of meningitis negligence include:

Misdiagnosis or late diagnosis of meningitis resulting in injury such as amputation or hearing loss
Failure to order appropriate diagnostic tests or to correctly interpret test results, leading to misdiagnosis of the type of meningitis
Inappropriate and ineffective treatment of meningitis
Failure to properly monitor or act on deterioration in the patient’s condition

Read about some of the cases we have successfully pursued in relation to meningitis negligence compensation claims.

How meningitis negligence claims work

Our clinical negligence lawyers can guide you sympathetically and clearly through every stage of making a claim, helping to make the process as stress-free as possible.

A typical meningitis compensation claim will involve:

Building your case e.g. applying for medical records, collecting witness evidence and consulting independent medical experts.
Contacting the relevant healthcare provider with the details of your claim.
Ensuring the defendant responds to your claim in a timely fashion.
Assessing the defendant’s response and advising you of your options.
Negotiating with the defendant and/or using alternative dispute resolution (ADR), such as mediation or independent evaluation, to secure a suitable settlement.
Submitting your claim to the relevant court and representing you at a court hearing where required to resolve the matter.

Find out more about the process of making a clinical negligence claim.

Funding a meningitis compensation claim

Your financial situation should never be a barrier to making a claim for meningitis negligence. As long as we believe your claim has a realistic prospect of success, we will agree a funding solution that allows you to pursue fair compensation.

Generally, this means working with us using a ‘conditional fee agreement’, often called ‘no win, no fee’. That way, you do not need to pay anything up front towards your legal costs and will only have to cover these costs if your claim succeeds.

Where we do secure compensation, your costs will be based on a pre-agreed percentage of the damages secured. This gives you transparency over the likely costs involved and means you will always get the maximum benefit from your claim.

One other common way of funding a meningitis negligence claim is legal expenses insurance. Frequently offered as an optional extra with home insurance policies, as well as some bank accounts and credit cards, this can be an effective way to fund a claim depending on the circumstances.

To discuss your options for covering the cost of a meningitis negligence claim, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Find out more about funding a medical negligence claim.

Our expertise in meningitis negligence compensation claims

We have been helping families with meningitis negligence claims for many years, having achieved substantial damages for our clients both in and out of court.Our expertise means we know exactly how to build the strongest possible case from the outset, giving you the best chance of a fair outcome in even the most difficult circumstances.

Wolferstans is accredited by the Law Society for Clinical Negligence, recognising our particular expertise in this area. We are also Lexcel accredited by the Law Society for excellence in legal practice management and client care.

Various members of our medical negligence team are also on the Law Society and AvMA (Action against Medical Accidents) Specialist Clinical Negligence Panels and have been accredited by APIL (Association of Personal Injury Lawyers) as Clinical Negligence Specialists and Brain Injury Specialists.

Find out more about our medical negligence claims team.

Read our client testimonials.

Common questions about meningitis negligence claims

If you are making a claim for meningitis negligence that affected you, there is normally a 3-year time limit to bring a claim.

However, if you are making a claim on behalf of a child affected by meningitis negligence, you will generally have until their 18th birthday to bring a claim. After this, they will have a further 3 years (until their 21st birthday) to bring a claim of their own.

If making a claim for a loved one without the mental capacity to bring a claim of their own, there is usually no time limit to do so.
If a loved one has died as a result of negligent treatment of meningitis, their next of kin or representatives of their estate will usually have 3 years from the date of death to bring a claim.

Knowing which time limit applies to your circumstances and whether there is still time to make a claim can be complicated. We therefore recommend speaking to one of our specialist medical negligence solicitors as soon as possible, even if a number of years have passed since the negligence occurred.

This will be determined by the seriousness of the injuries caused as a result of meningitis negligence and the impact this has had on the lifestyle of the person affected. In the most serious cases, where lifelong care will be needed, the value of a meningitis negligence claim can be very substantial.

Compensation for negligent treatment of meningitis is normally split into two types of damages:

Special damages – For specific financial losses incurred up to the date of settlement. This will typically include things like paying for private treatment and care support, buying special equipment and replacing lost earnings.

General damages – For non-financial losses (such as pain and suffering and lifestyle changes) plus expected future financial losses (e.g. paying for ongoing care).

If the person affected by meningitis negligence is unable to bring a claim themselves, either because they lack the mental capacity or because they are a child, you may be able to do so for them by acting as their ‘litigation friend’.

A litigation friend has the legal right to make decisions about the case on behalf of the claimant. To become someone’s litigation friend, you will need to apply to a court and show that you are a suitable person or are acting as their deputy via the Court of Protection.

If you need to make a claim with respect to someone who has died due to negligent treatment of meningitis, you will need to be acting as the personal representative of their estate and/or their dependants.

Further information about meningitis negligence claims

For more information about meningitis compensation claims and all types of medical negligence claims, please take a look at our news, blogs and our series of helpful leaflets covering specific issues.

Support for those affected by meningitis

There are various organisations that offer practical and emotional support for those diagnosed with meningitis. Wolferstans work closely with the Meningitis Research Foundation who help to promote awareness of meningitis and provides support and information for those diagnosed with meningitis, and their families and friends .

Start a meningitis compensation claim with us today

To arrange a free initial no obligation consultation and find out more about starting a meningitis compensation claim: