Wrong Route Medication Errors – Could I Make A Compensation Claim?

In this guide, we explore when it could be possible to claim for wrong route medication errors.

wrong route medication errors

Wrong route medication errors claims guide

We will also explore how harm could be sustained if medication is not administered correctly.

Additionally, we will discuss the compensation that could be awarded if a successful claim is made and how it’s calculated to take into account your pain and suffering.

Furthermore, if you are interested in hiring a solicitor, you may benefit from working with the No Win No Fee solicitors from our panel. We will provide further details on the services they can offer in more detail throughout this guide.

For more information, please get in touch with our advisors. To reach them, you can:

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What Are The Routes Of Medication Administration?

A drug administration route is a way by which medication is taken into the body. This can include oral or intravenous administration. If a medical practitioner administers medication by the wrong route, this error can harm the patient. It can happen in different medical settings and departments, such as hospitals, the pharmacy, and paediatrics.

Medical professionals owe a duty of care, which means they must provide an adequate standard of medical care. If you receive care that falls below the expected standard, it could lead to you experiencing preventable harm. This is called medical negligence.

If you can demonstrate that medical negligence has occurred, you may be able to seek compensation for wrong route medication errors. Get in touch to learn more.

What Are Wrong Route Medication Errors?

Wrong-route medication errors happen when a practitioner administers medication by an incorrect route. For example, a patient is given medicine orally that was meant to be taken intravenously. This can harm the patient in several ways, such as:

  • The medication may not be effective.
  • The patient could experience an adverse drug reaction.

In more severe cases, deaths from medication errors could occur.

If you are eligible to claim, the avoidable harm experienced can be compensated for. Several factors can be considered when valuing how much could be owed, such as the severity of the harm sustained and the future prognosis.

Medical Professional’s Duty Of Care To Correctly Administer Medication

As we have mentioned, medical professionals such as doctors, nurses, and carers owe their patients a duty of care. This extends to ensuring they administer medication correctly to prevent patients from experiencing unnecessary harm.

The ways in which they are expected to uphold their duty of care will depend on the area of medicine they specialise in. For example, doctors are provided guidance on good medical practice by the General Medical Council, whereas the General Pharmaceutical Council set the standards for pharmacy professionals.

When considering whether the correct standard of care was met, the Bolam test may be conducted. This is an assessment carried out by a panel of medically trained professionals practicing in a relevant area of medicine. The findings from their assessment can be used as evidence to support your claim.

Additionally, other evidence can be used as proof of medical negligence. We have provided further details on this below. Continue reading to learn more, or speak with our team about making a claim for wrong route medication errors.

How To Claim For Wrong Route Medication Errors

As part of the medical negligence claims process, there are steps you can take to build a strong case. Firstly, you can collect evidence to support your claim. This can include:

  • A copy of your prescriptions
  • Hospital reports
  • Doctor reports

Additionally, you must be aware of the time limit. You must start your medical negligence claim within the time limitation. Under the Limitation Act 1980, the medical negligence claims time limit is three years. The time limit will normally begin on the date that you became aware of medical negligence or the date of the incident. However, some exceptions do apply.

Finally, you may benefit from seeking legal advice. An advisor from our team can help assess your case to determine whether it’s valid. If it is, they may assign a medical negligence solicitor from our panel to begin working on your case. They can provide services such as:

  • Helping you collect evidence
  • Keeping you updated at each stage of the claims process
  • Ensuring you put forward a full case

For more information on the steps you can take to seek compensation for wrong route medication errors, please get in touch using the number above.

Wrong Route Medication Errors – Average Settlements For Medication Negligence

If your claim is successful, you could be awarded a settlement that consists of up to two heads of claim. These each seek to compensate for the different ways you have been impacted by the incident of medical negligence.

Firstly, general damages compensate for the physical and mental pain and suffering you have experienced due to medical negligence. Several factors are considered when valuing this head of claim. Additionally, different resources can be referred to by solicitors to help them calculate how much you are owed.

For example, solicitors may consult medical records alongside a document called the Judicial College guidelines. This document contains a list of different injuries that correspond with compensation brackets.

We have included these brackets in the table below. You can use the table instead of a medical negligence compensation calculator. However, please only use them as a guide. Your actual settlement amount can vary depending on the specific factors relating to your case.

HarmCompensationDetails
BladderUp to £140,660(b) Function and control is completely lost.
Bladder£63,980 to
£79,930		(c) Control is seriously impaired. There is some pain and incontinence.
Male Reproductive System£114,900 to £148,320(b) Impotence and lost sexual function in a young person.
Male Reproductive System£56,080 to £71,350(d) Sterility with no impotence and no other aggravating features. Affects a young person without children.
Female Reproductive System£56,080 to £71,350(c) Infertility but no sexual dysfunction or aggravating features in a person who is young with no children,
Female Reproductive System£17,960 to £36,740(d) No medicaal complications or sexual dysfunction from infertility in a person who has children.
Kidney£169,400 to £210,400(a) Both kidneys are either lost or damaged permanently.
Kidney£30,770 to £44,880(c) One kidney is lost and the other isn't damaged.
Digestive System£38,430 to £52,500(b) Illness from a non-traumatic injury (i) Severe toxicosis causing different symptoms.
Digestive System£9,540 to £19,200(b) Illness from a non-traumatic injury (ii) Symptoms are serious but short-lived.

Secondly, special damages compensate for the financial losses caused by medical negligence. This can include:

  • Loss of earnings
  • Care costs
  • Medical expenses

Please keep documentation, such as receipts and payslips, to support these losses when you claim them back.

For more information on the medical negligence compensation you could receive following a successful claim, get in touch using the number above.

No Win No Fee Agreements For Clinical Negligence Claims

You can hire a solicitor who offers their services under a kind of No Win No Fee agreement called a Conditional Fee Agreement. This typically allows you access to your solicitor’s services without having to pay for them upfront, during the course of the claim or in the event the claim does not succeed.

If the claim is a success, you pay a success fee from your compensation to your solicitor. This is taken as a percentage that is legally capped.

To find out whether a No Win No Fee solicitor could represent your claim on this basis, please get in touch with our team. They can also discuss whether you’re eligible to claim for wrong route medication errors. Reach them by:

Compensation Claims References

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Thank you for reading this guide on wrong route medication errors. If you have any other questions, please get in touch using the details provided above.

Guide by AC

Editor NM