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  • Never Event Claims

Never Event Claims

Trustpilot

Services in: Never Event Claims

    • NHS Early Notification Scheme

Needing significant medical treatment can be upsetting enough. But if you learn you’ve suffered needlessly because of your care giver’s negligence, it can be unbearable. Making a Never Event claim for compensation can go a long way towards aiding your recovery.

Never Events are serious incidents in healthcare. They’re called Never Events because there are guidance and safety recommendations in place to make sure they should never happen. Incidents that could be classed as Never Events are formally designated by the NHS.

We’ve decades of experience in handling Never Event claims for compensation. With the largest medical negligence team of lawyers in the UK, we know how to fight your case and win. We’ve seen first-hand how traumatic this kind of negligence can be to both you and your loved ones. That’s why we’ll handle your case with the sensitivity and care it deserves.

We’ll also bring in our Support and Rehabilitation team, who are trained clinical experts, to get you the help you need. We’ve relationships with care providers all over the country, so we can get you help that’s local.

Our Asset Management team of financial experts can also advise you after we settle your claim. They’ll help you to make sure your compensation lasts for the rest of your life.

We can also give you independent legal advice on NHS Early Notification Schemes, which investigate serious brain injuries that happen to children when they're born.

Access to support and rehabilitation coordinators
Links with support groups and charities
In-house Public Law and Court of Protection experts
Specialist medical negligence solicitors

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Lisa Jordan
Lisa Jordan Partner Meet the team

More information on Never Event claims

Never Events are serious incidents in healthcare that should never happen. They're called Never Events because specific safety recommendations and guidance are in place to make sure they can be prevented. These recommendations are readily available at a national level and should be used by all healthcare providers.

The NHS has a designated list of incidents that could be classed as Never Events.

Anything classed as a Never Event has the potential to seriously harm somebody. In some cases, a Never Event could result in death. An incident doesn’t need to cause serious harm or death to be classed as a Never Event.

Never Events may bring to light possible weaknesses in a healthcare organisation’s safety processes. The NHS framework for preventing Never Events should be upheld by all healthcare providers.

Never Events can occur in a wide range of circumstances. Some of the most common examples include:

  • Wrong implant/prosthesis
  • Retained foreign objects after a procedure, such as part of a drill or guide wire
  • Wrong site surgery, such as operating on the wrong leg or removing both ovaries/testes when only one should have been removed
  • Misplaced nasogastric (NG) or orogastric tubes and then feeds administered
  • Medicine given the wrong way, such as oral medicine being given intravenously
  • Transfusion or transplants being incompatible with a person’s blood or organs
  • Falls from poorly restricted windows.

The NHS has published a full list of incidents that could count as a Never Event.

We have vast experience in handling Never Event claims for compensation. We can advise you on incident reports created by the NHS and bring a claim against the healthcare provider responsible.

We’ll then work to make sure you get every penny you deserve in compensation.

In the tragic event of a death, we can represent you at an inquest. We’ll put questions to the healthcare provider in charge of your loved one’s care and ensure you get the answers you need.

Contact us today to find out more about how we can help you claim.

Because the circumstances around each Never Event are unique, there isn’t a set period your claim will be settled in. Certain factors will also influence how long it takes to settle your claim.

Because there’s a clear framework on how to prevent Never Events, healthcare providers often admit responsibility early in the process. However, we’ll need to establish and prove that the injuries you’ve sustained were caused directly by the Never Event.

We’ll also need to know the prognosis for how much ongoing care and/or treatment you’ll need in future. It’s important we know this so we can get you as much money in compensation as possible. We’ll bring in the services of medical experts who’ll be able to accurately assess this.

We'll also fight to get you interim payments, which are made before your claim's settled. Interim payments can help you to pay for treatment you need straight away. They can also compensate for loss of earnings if you've been unable to work because of the Never Event.

Never Event claims differ widely from case to case. For this reason, it’s difficult to put a value on exactly how much your claim could be worth.

Contacting us is the best way to learn more about how much you could get in compensation. After a free initial consultation, where you’ve told us about the incident, one of our experts will be able to value your claim.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why choose us to handle your Never Event claim?

As a market-leading law firm, we’ve handled countless Never Events claims.

We've the knowledge and experience to get the best compensation settlement for you.

Through our many years of working with people who’ve suffered due to Never Events, we’re well aware of the harm these incidents can cause. That’s why we’ll take the time to get to know you and learn about your situation. We’ll keep you informed every step of the way and make sure you're happy with everything we do on your behalf.

We’re with you every step of the way, including after your claim’s been settled. Our Asset Management team of financial experts will be on hand to help you make sure your compensation lasts for the rest of your life.

While your claim’s ongoing, you’ll have access to our Support and Rehabilitation team. As trained clinical specialists, they’ll be here to get you the help and care you need the most. Our close connections with charities, care homes, and support groups all over the UK means we’ll make it easy for you to access local help.

We’re also ranked highly among independent legal institutions. The Legal 500, one of the leading independent legal guides, consistently praises our work. One of their testimonials states: “Their dedication to their injured clients shines through in everything they do and their pragmatic and collaborative approach to claims helps to ensure their clients get the right result.”

Chambers and Partners, an equally well-respected independent guide, praises our work in the clinical negligence field. Chambers and Partners state that: "They are leaders in their field for claimant clinical negligence work and are very well resourced."

What is the NHS Never Event criteria?

The NHS Never Events policy and framework is a guide for care providers on how to prevent Never Events.

It also acts as a guide for what procedures need to be followed if a Never Event does occur. It lists the consequences for what happens if a Never Event isn’t reported, which can be useful for patients who’ve suffered this kind of negligence.

Can I make a no win no fee claim?

Yes, most of our claims are made using a no win no fee agreement. This means you won’t need to pay anything if your claim’s unsuccessful.

To make a no win no fee claim, you’ll need to have a suitable insurance policy. Don’t worry, we’ll explain the ins and outs before we start working on your claim.

Find out more about making a no win no fee claim.

Read More FAQs

Related Information - Never Event Claims

Cerebral Palsy - if medical errors caused your child's cerebral palsy, we could help
Asset Management - we can plan the investment of your compensation to get the most out of the award
Maternal Birth Injuries - you could make a claim if your labour was worsened by negligent treatment
Matthew's Story - Learn about Matthew's life with cerebral palsy

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 a No Win No Fee 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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