Meningitis Compensation Claims

Common meningitis claims

Meningitis claims usually relate to medical negligence in bacterial meningitis cases. People who suffer bacterial meningitis will usually make a full recovery unless there is a delay in treatment.

Claiming meningitis compensation is possible when the care received failed to follow guidelines or was not up to the standard that would be expected of competent clinicians.

Common valid meningitis claims relate to failures by clinicians to:

• recognise meningitis symptoms causing delays in treatment
• ask the right questions – or enough questions – to spot meningitis
• treat meningitis as quickly as necessary and in the right way
• check medical history before beginning treatment
• correctly monitor progress and adjust treatment.

Meningitis claims often involve children, as children and young people are particularly vulnerable to the infection.

Parents can make a claim on behalf of a child up to their 21st birthday as the usual three year claim limitations do not apply to children until they reach the age of 18.

There are no time limits on claims involving children or adults who have suffered brain damage that affects their mental capacity (ability to make decisions for themselves).

Meningitis can be fatal if the correct treatment is not received quickly. About one in ten people with bacterial meningitis dies.

Other long term complications of meningitis may include:

• hearing or sight loss
• ongoing problems with memory or concentration
• seizures or epilepsy
• issues with coordination, movement and balance
• sepsis, which can result in amputations.

Delayed diagnosis of meningitis

Due to the potentially severe consequences of untreated bacterial meningitis and meningococcal disease, medical professionals are trained to look out for it.

Babies, children and young people are particularly susceptible to meningitis and medics are taught to take account of the level of concern of parents and caregivers and to ask questions around how unusual this illness is compared to previous illnesses.

Part of the job of our meningitis solicitors is to investigate whether the clinicians in your case acted in a way that accords with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines and could have reasonably have been expected from a competent care provider.

This is particularly complex in meningitis cases because some of the symptoms of meningitis can also be present in less severe viral illnesses that do not require emergency treatment.

Common symptoms of meningitis include:

• A non-blanching rash
• Stiff neck
• Confusion
• Bulging fontanelle (in infants)
• Seizures
• Fever
• Nausea
• Lethargy
• Irritability
• Signs of difficulty breathing

As soon as meningitis or septicaemia is suspected in a patient, a very specific path should be followed to ensure treatment is received quickly and the illness does not get more severe.

Our meningitis lawyers will help you to discover if correct procedures were followed in your case. If they were not and you have suffered as a result, you have a right to compensation to help you deal with the impact.

How much compensation will I receive for meningitis negligence?

Compensation for meningitis negligence can be substantial because the harm done by the illness can be extreme.

The amount of compensation an individual receives will depend on the specific damage done to them by meningitis and the costs involved in caring for them and paying for the equipment or adaptations they need to live a full life.

Meningitis compensation is broken down into two elements: general damages and special damages.

General damages are intended to directly compensate for the pain and suffering endured.

Special damages seek to cover the cost of treatments, equipment, loss of earnings and other expenses that may result from meningitis, including prosthetics in the case of sepsis and amputations.

In the case of the death of an adult due to meningitis negligence, families who were dependent on them may be able to claim compensation. This is to help with the financial hole left by the loss of their income or to cover the cost of substitute services for things they used to do, such as childcare or housekeeping.

No amount of money can relieve the pain of losing a loved one or being left with serious long term health issues, but reduced financial worries can make life easier. Where someone has long term health needs as a result of meningitis, compensation usually also means their care needs can be better met.

Special damages will often form the most significant element of a claim. Specialist meningitis solicitors will spend a lot of time building evidence of the costs involved for an individual, now and in the future, as a result of the harm suffered due to meningitis. The aim is to ensure the claim covers as many of those costs as possible.

General damages are usually paid in accordance with guidelines and may form a significantly smaller proportion of a claim.

The table below indicates some of the general damages amounts that may be used in meningitis claims.

Partnered with Meningitis Now

We’re committed to doing everything we can to help people who are impacted by meningitis.

We ensure we remain well versed in the very latest information and developments in treatment and support available to share it with our clients.

As part of this commitment, Enable Law partners with the charity Meningitis Now, which works to ease the burden for families touched by this illness.