Legal Guides

Those who have a weakened immune system, those who are already being treated for a serious illness, have undergone a major surgery, have an underlying health condition, such as cancer, organ failure or any lung/heart disease are more susceptible to developing sepsis. As sepsis progresses organs such as the brain, the kidneys, and heart do not receive as much blood as they need, this can cause irregular clotting of the blood resulting in damaged or destroyed tissues.

Symptoms of sepsis

• Difficulty breathing
• Decrease in urinary output.
• Fever and chills
• Mental fog/ confusion
• Faster heart rate
• Swelling in any part of the body
• Decrease in platelet count in the blood.
• Fatigue
• Discolored skin

Common Causes of Sepsis

• Lack of hygiene in a medical setting
• Poor sterilization of medical equipment
• Weakened immune systems that are in cross proximity to patients who are likely to spread infection.
• Underlying illnesses such as Diabetes, COPD, or any other illness may be at higher risk of going into septic shock.

Sepsis medical negligence

If sepsis is not diagnosed correctly, or there is a failure from the medical professionals to spot the early signs of sepsis and treat the patient, similarly if adequate tests are not performed/ interpreted correctly, medical negligence can be present in the management of sepsis.

Sepsis medical negligence claims* can arise after consulting a GP or upon entry into a medical Centre such as A&E while showing symptoms of sepsis, and medical professionals fail to deliver an adequate level of care in due time. Delays in identifying and treating sepsis are the main reasons why some sepsis cases can be fatal. Unfortunately, patients who do recover from having sepsis are likely to suffer ongoing health issues as a result.

If you or someone you know has experienced sepsis or septic shock while receiving medical treatment and are unsure as to whether you have grounds to take legal action against health care providers, it is important that you seek advice from a professional as soon as possible.

Time limits for filing Sepsis claims

In line with the Irish statute of limitations, the time frame for medical negligence, including sepsis claims to be acted upon is two years minus one day from the date of knowledge i.e., the date that you become aware of an injury or illness caused by a third party.

The clocks stop when you issue legal proceedings, however, there are a series of processes that must be followed before pursuing legal action.

• It may take time for you to feel ready to speak to a solicitor on this matter.
• Your solicitor will request medical records before issuing proceedings and these can take time to be received.
• Your solicitor will also need to consult a third-party expert medical professional to help determine if medical malpractice was the source of your injury. These medical experts usually carry out a lot of reports so it may be lengthy wait times.

Types of compensation

Medical negligence can cause difficulty in your life, not only medical challenges but you may experience stress and anxiety due to the traumatic experience you endured.

Some unfortunate effects of medical negligence that you may be entitled to seek compensation for include:

• Loss of earnings
• Medical bills incurred as a result of medical negligence.
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional damages
• Wrongful death damages such as loss of the deceased’s wages and their companion.

It is imperative that you speak to a specialist in medical negligence as soon as possible.

Our expert team of medical negligence solicitors are passionate about achieving the best possible results for our clients. They are fully prepared to support you in your journey and help you during this difficult time. If you would like to contact a member of our team regarding your query please visit: Medical Negligence Claims Solicitors * |Tracey Solicitors LLP or you can phone us on: +35316499900.