Skip to main content

Cookies

We use cookies to help provide a better website experience for you, as well as to understand how people use our website and to provide relevant advertising.

By clicking "I agree", you'll be letting us use cookies to improve your website experience. To find out more or to change your cookie preferences, click "Manage Cookies".

We value your privacy

Like many other websites, our website uses cookies. Cookies are small files placed on your computer when you visit our site. They serve a number of purposes, including ensuring that certain parts of the website work properly, allowing us to understand which areas of our website are the most popular and allowing us to provide more relevant advertising messages. They don't allow us to identify you specifically and no personal data is gathered about you.

If you'd prefer that cookies weren't placed on your computer when you visit our site, you can use the controls below to allow or disallow different types of cookie. Some cookies are essential for the website to work, so they can't be disallowed.

  • These cookies give us anonymised information on how people use our website. We use these cookies to help us tailor our site to meet the needs of our visitors, for example by making sure our most popular pages are easy to find.

  • These cookies serve a number of purposes, such as allowing you to share our content with your friends and social networks. We also use these cookies to provide targeted advertising, so you may see relevant adverts based on the pages you look at on our website.

  • About
  • News & Insights
  • Careers
  • International
  • ESG
0800 121 6558
Dialog that contains search functionality
Irwin Mitchell Logo
  • Personal
    • Personal
    • Personal Home
    • Personal Injury Claims
      • Personal Injury Claims
      • Personal Injury Claims Home
      • Abuse & Criminal Injury Claims
      • Accidents In Public Places Claims
      • Accident At Work Claims
      • Air, Rail & Maritime Claims
      • Asbestos & Mesothelioma Claims
      • Changing Solicitors During a Personal Injury Claim
      • Group Claims
      • Holiday Accidents & Illness Claims
      • Illness Compensation Claims
      • Industrial Disease Claims
      • Injury Types
      • Military Injury Compensation Claims
      • No Win No Fee Personal Injury Claims
      • Personal Injury Claims In Scotland
      • Personal Injury Information
      • How To Claim Compensation For Personal Injury
      • Product Liability Claims
      • Rehabilitation & Medical Care
      • Road Traffic Accident Claims
      • Serious Injury Claims
      • Who Can Help?
      • Support Services
    • Medical Negligence Claims
      • Medical Negligence Claims
      • Medical Negligence Claims Home
      • Cancer Misdiagnosis Claims
      • Birth Injury Claims
      • Cauda Equina Syndrome Claims
      • Cosmetic Surgery Claims
      • Cerebral Palsy Claims
      • Defective Medical Device Claims
      • Dental Negligence Claims
      • Diabetes Claims
      • Fatal Medical Negligence Claims & Inquests
      • GP Negligence Claims
      • Hospital Negligence Claims
      • What Is Medical Negligence?
      • Meningitis Misdiagnosis Claims
      • Failure To Prevent Suicide Claims
      • Misdiagnosis Claims
      • Ophthalmic Negligence Claims
      • Pregnancy & Gynaecology Injury Claims
      • Sepsis Negligence Claims
      • Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust Maternity Care Claims
      • Stroke Misdiagnosis Claims
      • Surgery Compensation Claims
    • Family Law
      • Family Law
      • Family Law Home
      • Divorce Solicitors
      • Prenuptial & Postnuptial Agreement Solicitors
      • Child Abduction Solicitors
      • Civil Partnership Solicitors
      • LGBT+ Family Law Solicitors
      • Unmarried Couples' Rights
      • Divorce Financial Settlement Solicitors
      • Child Arrangement Orders
      • Family Mediation Lawyers
      • Out Of Court Divorce Solicitors
      • Separation Agreement Solicitors
      • Adoption & Surrogacy Solicitors
      • Counselling
    • Wills, Trusts & Estates
      • Wills, Trusts & Estates
      • Wills, Trusts & Estates Home
      • Estate Planning Solicitors
      • Powers Of Attorney
      • Trusts
      • Will Writing Services
      • Will Disputes & Contentious Probate
    • Conveyancing & Property Solicitors
      • Conveyancing & Property Solicitors
      • Conveyancing & Property Solicitors Home
      • Conveyancing Fees Calculator
      • Buying A Property
      • Selling A Property
      • Remortgage
      • Transfer Of Equity
      • Buy To Let
      • Absentee Landlord & Freeholder Tracing Service
      • Freehold Purchase (Leasehold Enfranchisement) Solicitors
      • Lease Extension Solicitors
      • Conveyancing Guide
      • Our Prices - Residential Conveyancing for properties valued above £500,000
    • Tax
      • Tax
      • Tax Home
      • Business Tax
      • Inheritance Tax
      • International Tax
      • Professional Negligence
      • HMRC Tax Investigations
      • Tax Disputes & Litigation
      • Tax Residence
      • Tax Returns & Compliance
      • Wealth Structuring
    • Probate
      • Probate
      • Probate Home
      • International Probate
      • Probate Sale Conveyancing
      • What Is Probate & How Does It Work?
    • Will, Trust & Estate Disputes
      • Will, Trust & Estate Disputes
      • Will, Trust & Estate Disputes Home
      • Trust Disputes
      • Inheritance Act Claims
      • Contesting A Will
      • Contentious Probate
      • Pre-Death Agreements
      • Professional Negligence
      • Challenging A Lifetime Gift
      • Financial Abuse
      • Statutory Will Disputes
      • Defending A Contested Will
    • Employment Solicitors
      • Employment Solicitors
      • Employment Solicitors Home
      • Employment Contract Solicitors
      • Employment Disputes
      • Dismissal & Redundancy Solicitors
      • Employment Discrimination Solicitors
      • Employment Lawyers for Legal Expenses Insurance
      • Harassment & Bullying At Work Solicitors
      • Parental & Family Friendly Employment Rights
      • Professional Discipline Solicitors
      • Recruitment & Promotion
      • Senior Executive Employment Lawyers
      • Settlement Agreements
      • Whistleblowing Solicitors
    • Elderly Legal Services
    • Protecting Your Rights
      • Protecting Your Rights
      • Protecting Your Rights Home
      • Actions Against The Police
      • Environmental & Planning Law
      • Assessment & Treatment Unit Solicitors
      • Data Protection Breach Claims
      • Education Law
      • Healthcare & Social Services
      • Human Rights
      • Judicial Review
      • Mental Capacity
      • Motoring Offences Legal Advice
      • Professional Regulation & Discipline
      • Dispute Resolution
      • Legal Aid
    • Immigration Solicitors
      • Immigration Solicitors
      • Immigration Solicitors Home
      • British Citizenship & Naturalisation Solicitors
      • EU & EEA Immigration Solicitors
      • Indefinite Leave To Remain Solicitors
      • Spouse Visa Solicitors
      • Innovator Visa
      • Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa
      • Permanent Residence Solicitors
      • Tier 1 Investor Visa
      • Business Immigration Solicitors
    • Crime & Investigations
      • Crime & Investigations
      • Crime & Investigations Home
      • Crime
      • Fraud & Financial Crime
      • Court Martial Solicitors
      • Motoring Offences Legal Advice
      • Regulatory Investigations & Enforcement
    • Insolvency
      • Insolvency
      • Insolvency Home
      • Business Restructuring & Insolvency
      • Debt Consultancy
      • Insolvency Disputes & Litigation
    • Court Of Protection
      • Court Of Protection
      • Court Of Protection Home
      • Court Of Protection Deputyship
      • Personal Injury Trusts
      • Court Of Protection Problems & Disputes
      • Healthcare and Social Services
      • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Powers Of Attorney
      • Powers Of Attorney Disputes
      • Statutory Wills And Trusts
    • Agriculture & Rural Business
    • Landed Estates
    • Family Offices
  • Wealth Management
    • Wealth Management
    • Wealth Management Home
    • Asset Management For Personal Injury
    • Charity & Philanthropy
    • Estate Planning
    • Ethical & Sustainable Investing
    • Financial Planning
    • Intergenerational Wealth Management
    • Investment Management
    • Retirement Financial Planning
    • Succession Planning
    • Tax Planning
  • Business
    • Business
    • Business Home
    • Sectors
      • Sectors
      • Sectors Home
      • Agriculture & Rural Business
      • Consumer & Retail
      • Education
      • Financial & Professional Services
      • Landed Estates
      • Manufacturing
      • Media & Entertainment
      • Real Estate
      • Sport
      • Technology & Communications
    • Banking & Finance
      • Banking & Finance
      • Banking & Finance Home
      • Corporate Banking
      • Funds
      • Leveraged & Acquisition Finance
      • Real Estate Finance
      • Receivables Finance & Asset Based Lending
    • Business Crime
      • Business Crime
      • Business Crime Home
      • Anti-Bribery & Corruption
      • Asset Tracing & Recovery
      • Cartels & Illegal Price Fixing
      • Cybercrime
      • Dawn Raids
      • Deferred Prosecution Agreements
      • Extradition
      • INTERPOL Red Notices
      • Mutual Legal Assistance
      • Private Prosecution
      • Proceeds Of Crime Act
      • Unexplained Wealth Orders
      • Fraud Lawyers
      • Insider Trading & Market Abuse
      • Corporate Internal Investigations
    • Business Immigration
      • Business Immigration
      • Business Immigration Home
      • Business Visitor Visa
      • Innovator Visa
      • Prevention Of Illegal Working
      • Sole Representative Of An Overseas Business
      • Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa
      • Tier 1 Investor Visa
      • Tier 2 & 5 Sponsor Licence
      • Tier 2 Visa
      • Tier 4 Sponsor Licence
    • Commercial
      • Commercial
      • Commercial Home
      • Commercial Contracts
      • Competition Law
      • GDPR & Data Protection
      • Information Technology
      • Media & Entertainment
      • Sourcing
      • Licensing
      • Notary Public Solicitors
    • Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution
      • Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution
      • Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution Home
      • Banking & Finance Litigation
      • Business Interruption Insurance Lawyers
      • Contract Disputes
      • Commercial Judicial Review
      • Defamation & Reputation Management
      • International & Cross-Border Disputes
      • Litigation Funding
      • Our Prices - Commercial Debt Recovery
      • Professional Negligence
    • Corporate
      • Corporate
      • Corporate Home
      • Corporate Advisory
      • Equity Capital Markets
      • Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)
      • Private Equity
    • Costs Team
    • Environmental, Social & Governance
      • Environmental, Social & Governance
      • Environmental, Social & Governance Home
      • Environment
      • Social
      • Governance
      • International
      • ESG Legal Advisory Services
      • Cyber Security
      • Diversity & Inclusion
      • Legislation Library
      • ESG Media Library
      • Sports Sector
      • Manufacturing Sector
      • Real Estate Sector
      • Consumer & Retail Sector
    • Employment Law
      • Employment Law
      • Employment Law Home
      • Business Immigration
      • Employment Contracts, Policies & Procedures
      • Disciplinary & Grievance
      • Employee & Industrial Relations
      • Employment Lawyers for Legal Expenses Insurance
      • Employment Litigation & Dispute Resolution
      • Equality, Diversity & Discrimination
      • Flexible Working Arrangements
      • Health & Safety
      • HR Advice Service - IMhrplus
      • Managing Sickness Absence
      • Pensions
      • Recruitment
      • Restrictive Covenants
      • Restructuring & Redundancy
      • Self Employment, Contractors & Agency Workers
      • Employment Seminars, Training & Updates
      • TUPE
    • In-House Counsel
    • Intellectual Property
      • Intellectual Property
      • Intellectual Property Home
      • Defamation & Reputation Management
      • Copyright Lawyers
      • Design Rights Lawyers
      • Image Rights Lawyers
      • IP Audits
      • Online Marketplace Seller Account Or Listing Suspensions
      • Stopping IP Infringement By Sellers On Online Marketplaces
      • Patent Lawyers
      • Trade Mark Lawyers
      • Trade Secrets Lawyers
    • Legal Helpline
    • Pensions
      • Pensions
      • Pensions Home
      • Employment
      • Managing Death Benefit Trusts
    • Regulatory & Compliance
      • Regulatory & Compliance
      • Regulatory & Compliance Home
      • Road Transport & Operator Compliance
      • GDPR & Data Protection
      • Regulatory Investigations
      • Environment & Safety Regulatory Compliance
      • Financial Services Regulation
    • Real Estate
      • Real Estate
      • Real Estate Home
      • Corporate Occupiers
      • Real Estate Development and Regeneration
      • Construction & Engineering
      • Environmental
      • Real Estate Finance
      • Real Estate Investment
      • Later Living & Care
      • Planning
      • Property Litigation & Real Estate Disputes
      • Real Estate Tax
      • Residential Development
      • Strategic Land
      • Structured Real Estate
    • Restructuring & Insolvency
      • Restructuring & Insolvency
      • Restructuring & Insolvency Home
      • Corporate Insolvency
      • Partnership Insolvency
      • Directors' Duties
      • Restructuring Plans
      • Restructuring
    • Tax
      • Tax
      • Tax Home
      • Corporate Tax
      • Real Estate Tax
      • Tax Investigations
  • People
    • People
    • People Home
    • Search By Name
    • Search By Location
    • Search By Expertise
    • Business Management
  • Offices
    • Offices
    • Offices Home
    • Birmingham
    • Bristol
    • Cambridge
    • Cardiff
    • Chichester
    • Gatwick
    • Glasgow
    • Leeds
    • Liverpool
    • London
    • Manchester
    • Middlesbrough
    • Newbury
    • Newcastle
    • Reading
    • Sheffield
    • Southampton
  • Contact
  • About
  • News & Insights
  • Careers
  • International
  • ESG
Irwin Mitchell Logo
Dialog with Irwin Mitchell phone number
Call us on 0800 121 6558

We're here 24/7, 365 days a year.

  • Home
  • Personal
  • Personal Injury Claims
  • Holiday Accidents & Illness Claims
  • Medical Negligence Abroad Claims

Medical Negligence Abroad Claims

Trustpilot

Medical professionals have a duty of care to their patients, no matter where in the world they are practicing. If you have suffered as a result of poor medical care while abroad, our lawyers may be able to help you claim compensation.

Whether you became ill or were injured on holiday, while working, or travelling abroad specifically for medical treatment, you could be entitled to make a medical negligence claim. Our lawyers have helped clients who have suffered medical negligence in a number of circumstances, including:

  • Care following a slip, trip or fall
  • Care after a sporting, skiing or road traffic accident
  • Birth injuries
  • Emergency admissions
  • IVF treatment
  • Surgery, including cosmetic surgery
  • Dentistry

Medical negligence claims arising abroad can be complicated, so when you need to make a compensation claim after something has gone wrong, it helps to have the experts on your side. We make the entire process as simple as possible for you, handling every aspect of your case and offering our advice in plain English when needed, so you can focus on recovery.

Medical negligence can have serious impacts wherever in the world you were receiving treatment. If you've been injured, or if a loved one has died, because of substandard medical treatment abroad, call us today on 0800 121 6558 for a free initial consultation about your case, or contact us online and we'll get back to you.

No Win No Fee
Help accessing medical support and rehabilitation
Long standing links with foreign law experts
Offices across the UK

Call our experts FREE on:

0800 121 6558

Or we can call you back at a time of your choice

Phone lines are open 24/7, 365 days a year

Contact us today

For a free initial consultation

Freephone

0800 121 6558

Prefer not to call?

Use our form

This data will only be used by Irwin Mitchell for processing your query and for no other purpose.

Cheryl Palmer-Hughes
Cheryl Palmer-Hughes Associate Meet The Team

Medical Negligence Abroad Claims - More Information

To make a compensation claim for medical negligence abroad, the first thing you need to do is get in touch with us for a free initial consultation. We'll discuss the circumstances surrounding your treatment, advise you on whether or not we think you can claim, and whether you could benefit from a No Win No Fee* arrangement.

If you choose to go ahead, your claim will usually go through the following four stages:

  1. Investigation. We'll establish who's responsible for your negligent treatment, and arrange for a medical examination to find out the full extent of your condition.
  2. Rehabilitation. If you have any medical care or support needs, we'll help you to access the necessary treatment and advice that you are entitled to.
  3. Compensation. We'll work out how much compensation you should get based on the severity of your injuries and your pain and suffering, any medical expenses you've had, and your ability to get back to work. We'll put this amount to those responsible, and they can either accept blame or contest the claim.
  4. Conclusion. If your opponent accepts blame, you'll be awarded compensation. If not, the case will be settled in court – although this is rare. If you do have to go to court, we'll be there support you every step of the way. If we agreed to handle your claim under a No Win No Fee* arrangement, then you won't have to pay anything if you were unsuccessful.

If you have any questions about the claims process, please contact us today on 0800 121 6558 for your free initial consultation.

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, travel or car 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. You'll only have to pay anything if your claim is successful – even then your opponent will pay most of our fees, with the remaining costs coming out of your compensation settlement.

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

In the UK, you usually need to make a compensation claim within three years of your accident or illness.

In fatal cases, the family of the deceased has three years to make a claim, starting from either the date your loved one died, or the date you received the post-mortem results.

However, these time limits vary a great deal from country to country and are much shorter in some countries, so when an accident or illness has taken place abroad, it's vital that you contact us as soon as possible. We are experts in international law, and have a worldwide network of partner law firms that we work with, so we'll be able to advise you on specific time limits. Contact us today on 0800 121 6558 for a free consultation on your case, and we'll be happy to help.

If you have suffered negligent medical treatment in another country, it's still vital that you contact us as soon as possible to ensure you get your claim started within the relevant time limits.

We can begin working on your claim while you're still abroad – all you need to do is contact us. You can do this online or by phone on +44800 121 6558, or a relative can call us on your behalf on 0800 121 6558.

You can advise us on the best way to contact you while you're abroad, and you can update this once you're back in the UK if you need to.

Our personal injury team deals with thousands of successful claims each year, and our award-winning lawyers are recognised as leaders in their fields.

Meet our team of accident and illness abroad lawyers.

I am relieved that our legal battle is finally over. Our holiday was a nightmare and we were so disappointed. We’re glad Irwin Mitchell has managed to achieve a successful outcome for us”

David, client

Frequently Asked Questions

What Constitutes Medical Negligence?

Medical negligence, also known as clinical negligence or medical malpractice, is generally defined as treatment which falls below a reasonable standard. This includes treatment by:

  • Physicians
  • Surgeons
  • Dentists
  • Nurses
  • Pharmacists
  • Paramedics

It doesn't matter whether your injury or illness was caused by routine treatment, emergency care, or a procedure you've chosen to have, such as cosmetic surgery – you still could be entitled to make a claim.

The exact definition of what constitutes negligence varies from country to country. A small number of countries also have no fault schemes to compensate injured patients. In most countries, we generally need to prove three things for a successful claim:

  1. That a healthcare professional had a duty of care to you as a patient
  2. That the professional failed to meet an acceptable standard of care
  3. That this negligence caused your injury or illness

A health care professional could claim that an injury or condition was not directly caused by their actions, so there are accepted tests for deciding whether something was negligent or not. The main questions a court will ask include:

  • Were you fully informed of the potential risks involved with all aspects of your treatment?
  • Would the same actions have been taken by most other medical practitioners in the same circumstances, in the same country?
  • Were there other courses of action available that would have been likely to provide a better outcome?

If you're unsure about whether or not your treatment will qualify as negligence, or have any questions about the claims process generally, give us a call today on 0800 121 6558 for a free initial consultation about your case so we can discuss your options with you.

Who Do You Claim From In A Medical Negligence Claim?

We will investigate the doctors or medical practitioners involved, as well as any clinics or hospitals, and establish the contractual relationship between them to work out who is ultimately legally responsible for your injuries, and who their insurers are.

Our goal is generally to identify the insurer you'll be claiming from, rather than pursuing the individual who may be directly responsible for your injuries, as it's important to pursue a claim against an opponent that actually has the means to pay compensation.

If the negligence happened inside of the EU or if you arranged private treatment abroad then you might be able to make a claim through the UK courts. It may also be necessary to make a claim in the country in which the hospital or doctor responsible is based.

By working with an international network of law firms, we are able to support our clients in claims around the world, so you can rest assured that we have the experience needed to help you.

If you're unsure about whether or not you'll be able to make a claim, or where you'll have to make it, contact us today on 0800 121 6558 for a free consultation. We'll discuss your case and advise you on your options in plain English, without any legal jargon.

Why Choose Irwin Mitchell For A Medical Negligence Abroad Claim?

When faced with making a claim for medical negligence in another country, it helps to have the experts on your side. When you make a claim with us, we'll handle every aspect of your case for you, offering our advice, in plain English.

If you have to make a claim outside of the UK courts, we'll work with our international network of law firms to navigate any local laws and language barriers.

Rehabilitation and support is an essential part of our service, and we ensure that any compensation settlement we pursue accounts for any medical care or support you are entitled to as a result of your injuries, as well as modifications to your home, and any travel expenses you've incurred.

We'll also help you to arrange any care you need. Our approach to rehabilitation has seen us win Post Magazine's Rehabilitation Award for Claimant Solicitors on six occasions.

We have the largest team of international personal injury lawyers in the UK, working solely on claims relating to accidents and illnesses abroad. Our industry-leading lawyers have secured hundreds of millions of pounds for victims of accidents and illnesses abroad.

To find out more about how to make a claim, and how we can help, call us today on 0800 121 6558 for a free initial consultation about your case.

Read More FAQs

Related Information - Medical Negligence Abroad Claims

Accidents While Working Abroad - If you've had an accident while working abroad, we could help you claim compensation
Holiday Accidents - Find out how we could help you if you've suffered from an accident whilst on holiday
Accident & Illness Abroad Claims Guide - Discover all you need to know about making an accident or illness claim abroad
Medical Negligence (UK) - If you've suffered medical negligence in the UK, we could help you claim

About Irwin Mitchell

Founded in Sheffield in 1912, Irwin Mitchell has always been a bit different. Our advisers really get to know the people and business that we help.

It's what we call 'expert hand, human touch'.

We have offices around the UK so wherever you are, our experts can help.

Contact Us

Give us a ring to speak to a member of our team in the strictest confidence. Or you can fill out our contact form and we'll ring you back.

0370 1500 100

Our phone lines are open 24/7, 365 days a year

Get a call back

Fill in your details below and we'll be in touch as soon as possible

This data will only be used by Irwin Mitchell for processing your query and for no other purpose.

  • Contact
  • 0370 1500 100
  • Contact Irwin Mitchell
  • Social Media
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • About Irwin Mitchell
  • About Us
  • Social Responsibility
  • Careers
  • Business Management
  • Alumni Programme
  • SRA Regulated
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy & Security
  • Hoaxes
  • Modern Slavery Act Statement 2021
  • Manage Cookie Settings

© 2023  Irwin Mitchell LLP

Irwin Mitchell LLP is authorised & regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Our Regulatory Information

Dialog that contains a form to request a callback.

Request A Callback

Enter you details below and we'll call you back, at a time of your choice

Preferred date*
Today
Tomorrow

This data will only be used by Irwin Mitchell for processing your query and for no other purpose.