How does medical negligence differ by country?
Every country in the world requires a health service. Injuries and illnesses, unfortunately, plague the world we live in and so, visits to the hospital are required. In the UK alone, there are 16 million visits to major hospitals every year, so as you can imagine, this number is likely to be huge worldwide.
With so many visits to the hospital, things are bound to go wrong from time to time, even if the health care professionals don’t intend it to. This is known as medical negligence.
Medical negligence can come in many different forms including:
· Misdiagnosis
· Surgical negligence
· Anaesthesia
· Prescription errors
· Long-term treatment negligence
· Negligent medical advice
· Pregnancy injuries
· Dental negligence
· Negligent cosmetic care
In the UK, there were around 12.6 thousand medical negligence claims made in 2020/21 for the aforementioned errors. If you have experienced any of them then you may be due compensation.
There are many different approaches to medical negligence around the world and here are some examples.
Australia
In Australia, medical negligence claims can be made up to 12 to 15 months after the initial negligence was caused. The settlement rate is extremely high with just 1% of all claims proceeding to trial.
UK
Medical negligence claims in the UK can be made up to three years after the event. However, to actually settle that claim, you’re looking at 18-24 months which can make life extremely stressful for those claiming.
USA
Medical negligence is a huge problem in the United States. It is estimated that 250,000 people die due to medical negligence every year making this the third biggest killer in the country. On top of this, settlement of claims in this country can take upwards of 18 months.
Canada
Most provinces in Canada allow for medical negligence claims two years after the event. Damages can pay out up to $350,000 in some cases but will more commonly be much lower than this. Once a claim is made, your medical records must be read in-depth to understand your medical history and prove that your healthcare professional is the reason for your trauma or injury.
As you can see, no matter where you are in the world, medical negligence is ever-present. Ensure you get the compensation you deserve for any emotional, physical or financial damage caused by healthcare professionals.