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  • Fatal Medical Negligence Claims & Inquests

Fatal Medical Negligence Claims & Inquests

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If somebody close to you has died because of negligent medical care, our solicitors are here to help you find out what happened and why.

Dealing with the loss of a loved one will always be difficult, but we can help with the financial burdens a death can cause, hopefully making your life a little easier. Compensation can help provide a more secure future for you and your family, and by making a claim with us, you can be reassured that you’re being represented by some of the best medical negligence lawyers in the country.

We might be able to help you if you were the spouse or dependant of someone who died because of:

  • Mistakes in surgery or medical treatment
  • Their condition was not diagnosed as early as it could have been.

We can accept fatal medical negligence cases on a No Win No Fee basis* which means that you won’t have to worry about paying legal costs until after your claim has finished. If for some reason your claim is unsuccessful, you won’t have to pay these fees as you’ll be protected by an insurance policy.

Sometimes when deaths occur in unusual or unclear circumstances, an inquest might be held to establish the facts around the death. Our solicitors can represent you at inquests, to help guide you through proceedings and to make sure your voice is heard.

If you’d like our help at this difficult time, call us on 0800 121 6567 or contact us online and we’ll organise a free initial consultation to discuss your case.


No Win No Fee*
Largest medical negligence team in the country
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Representation at inquests

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Fatal Claims - More Information

After you’ve got in touch we’ll set up a free initial consultation where we’ll talk about your situation. We’ll then explain what will happen if you need to attend a post-mortem and/or inquest, making sure you understand everything that’s going to happen.

We’ll always aim to make things as clear and easy as possible for you. We’ll talk you through a variety of funding options available to pay for your case, ensuring that the best method is chosen for your circumstances.

Our lawyers will then collect evidence to support your claim, including medical records, documents and the opinions of independent medical experts. Using this, we’ll come to a compensation amount that best supports your needs.

The majority of fatal medical negligence cases we handle are settled out of court. If we can’t reach a settlement which we feel is fair and reasonable, or the medical professional or organisation involved denies responsibility, we’ll start court proceedings.

Even if your claim does go to court, your case might not reach trial as we’re often able to agree a settlement before it reaches the court room. If your case does go to court, we’ll be there for you every step of the way ensuring that you have the best possible chances of getting the compensation you deserve.

Our lawyers can support you in a number of ways if your loved one died because of negligent medical treatment. You might not only be suffering emotionally because of the loss, but you may also be facing financial issues.

We can get you funds to compensate for any pain and suffering caused prior to the death, as well as to pay for things such as:

  • Funeral costs
  • Loss of earnings
  • Household expenses
  • Medical expenses
  • Loss of benefits (such as pension rights)
  • Childcare costs
  • Counselling services

To find out more about how compensation could help you and your family, contact our experts free on 0800 121 6567.

Our medical negligence lawyers might be able to help you get a statutory bereavement award, which is currently a flat rate of £15,120 (paid by your opponent) when a wrongful death has occurred. You can access this amount if you’re the spouse, civil partner or parent (if under 18) of the person who died.

Find out more about statutory bereavement awards.

Many of our cases are funded with a No Win No Fee agreement. This means that there’s no financial risk* to you when making a compensation claim.

At the start of your case we’ll discuss funding options with you, advising you which we think is most suitable. If you have legal expenses insurance (LEI) or are covered by a trade union policy, these may be best for you. Legal expenses insurance is included in many household insurance policies, so it’s always worth checking whether you’re already covered.

If we think you’re best supported by a No Win No Fee agreement, we’ll explain the process clearly. This involves setting up an insurance policy that will protect you, at no cost to you. You’ll only have to pay anything when your claim is successful – your opponent will pay most of our fees.

Please visit our No Win No Fee page for more information on how it works.

As one of the largest and most respected law firms in the country, we have a specialist medical negligence team who have the expertise and experience needed to help you make a successful claim. We’ll be there to answer questions whenever you need us and will always make sure you understand what’s happening at every stage of your claim, or at inquest. With lawyers based across the country, we’ll never be too far away to help.

We also campaign for improvements in the standards of medical care. We work with charities and other organisations, such as Cancer Research UK and the AvMA (Action against Medical Accidents) to help make a difference.

We're a full service law firm, so we can help with:

  • Dealing with your loved one’s estate
  • Advice from our in-house support and rehabilitation coordinators who can help with non-legal issues, such as benefit entitlement, or helping you to access specialist counselling services

View our Medical Negligence team

They were always there to answer my questions and queries when I was at my most vulnerable and they persevered to obtain the best possible result."

Lisa, client

Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Represent Me At Inquest?

If your loved one died in unusual or unclear circumstances, their death will be reported to a coroner who may decide to hold an inquest. By holding an inquest, the facts behind the death can be established.

Sometimes evidence comes to light during the inquest that your loved one may have died as a result of negligent medical treatment. If this is the case, we could help you make a compensation claim and will do everything we can to get you a settlement that could provide security for you and your family.

If you would like our experts to represent you at an inquest, you must contact us as soon as you can so we have time to assemble medical records and other evidence to put us in the strongest position to help.

To find out more about how we can help you at an inquest, contact us on 0800 121 6567.

Who Can Make A Claim?

If your loved one died because of negligent medical treatment, we could help you claim compensation to support you at this difficult time. We can help you with making a claim if you’re the dependent of the person who died, which can be one of the following relations:

  • Husband/wife
  • Former spouse (married for at least two years)
  • Children
  • Parents
  • Cohabitee of over two years (living together without being married)

To make a claim you’ll usually have three years from the date of the negligent treatment or surgery, but if the negligence wasn’t discovered until inquest, you’ll have three years from that point to claim. For more information on timings, contact us free on 0800 121 6567.

What Experience Do You Have With Fatal Negligence Claims?

Our respected and dedicated fatal claims lawyers have experience in handling a wide variety of fatal negligence cases. No matter how your loved one’s death happened, you can be reassured that you’re being represented by some of the best lawyers in the country.

We’ve previously helped families after they’ve lost their loved one in a range of circumstances, including:

  • Misdiagnosis of cancer
  • Childbirth errors
  • Meningitis misdiagnosis
  • MRSA
  • Spinal surgery mistakes

Our medical negligence lawyers can help you with your compensation claim in a number of other scenarios and can offer you support with the bereavement process.

To find out more about how we can help you and your family, contact us free on 0800 121 6567.

Read More FAQs

Related Information - Fatal Claims

Medical Negligence - we handle a variety of medical negligence claims
Wills, Estates & Probate - we can help you deal with the affairs relating to your loved one’s estate
Personal Injury Trusts - setting up a personal injury trust can protect your means tested benefits after a compensation award
Coping With Bereavement - we offer support to help with the grieving process

Scottish Flag All Scottish cases will be handled by the Scottish law firm with which we are associated, Irwin Mitchell Scotland LLP. The law relating to funding is different in Scotland and you will receive separate advice about what that means as well as a separate funding agreement.

*To make a No Win No Fee claim, you need to enter into an agreement that's linked to a suitable insurance policy. We'll explain this in more detail before we start your claim.

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