Not only can medical negligence severely impair a person’s quality of life and have a huge impact on their loved ones, but in the worst case scenarios, it can result in the death of the patient.

It is not always immediately apparent how and exactly the patient died, in which case a coroner is likely open an inquest into the death in order to investigate how, when and where the individual died.

Inquests and medical negligence

If the bereaved believe there was medical negligence on the part of medical staff treating their deceased relative, they can call for an inquest into the death of their loved one, which can bring to light the crucial factors that may have actually contributed to that person’s death.

The coroner can call upon the healthcare professionals involved to provide evidence as witnesses in order to ascertain an accurate overview of the circumstances. Medical negligence cases can be extremely complex, so it’s crucial to appoint a specialist lawyer to represent you.

What are the common causes of fatal medical negligence?

The cause of someone’s death under while in the care of a team of medical professionals isn’t often immediately apparent, and an inquest is required to uncover the reasons why. However, here are the most common causes:

• Failures to diagnose and treat ischaemic heart disease and abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA);
• Delays in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolisms;
• Delays and failure to recognise the signs of and treat intra-abdominal haemorrhages;
• Failures in the levels of care in nursing homes for the elderly;
• Falls while being treated in hospital;
• Stillbirths and infant deaths.

However, the cause of a person’s death can be down to one or a number or different causes that are not limited to those listed above, and if you feel that there has been a shortfall in the care provided to a loved one that resulted in or contributed to their death, then you may well have cause for complaint.

Criticism of the Inquest system

Since the Shipman Inquiry in 2000, the British legal system’s inquest procedure has been derided for being archaic, disjointed, inconsistent, and wholly lacking in quality.

However, the British Government has since been working towards bringing the system up to date, and in 2006, a draft bill was published by The Department of Constitutional Affairs proffering a list of extensive reforms, including:

• Families will be able to contribute more to the inquest proceedings;
• Greater power will be given to coroners to ensure more in-depth investigations;
• Improved medical support and advice at both local and national level for coroners;
• The coronial profession will be given national direction with the appointment of a chief coroner.

Claiming compensation

You and your family may have been left with a hefty financial burden to bear after the death of your loved one. You may also feel that justice needs to be served in order to prevent the same thing happening to a patient or patients in the future, and feel that it is wholly necessary to take an institution or person to task over what you believe they have done wrong.

Whatever your feelings, help from professional legal experts is at hand, who will assess your claim and ensure that if you have a case, you will win.