Holding Healthcare Providers Accountable for Substandard Care
When you seek medical treatment, you place your trust in healthcare professionals to provide competent, careful treatment. When that trust is broken through negligent care, the consequences can be devastating—from worsened medical conditions to permanent disability or even death.
At Gary Matthews Solicitors, we specialize in medical negligence claim and understand the complexities of these cases. Our experienced solicitors work with leading medical experts to investigate your case thoroughly and hold negligent healthcare providers accountable.
Medical negligence (also called medical malpractice) occurs when a healthcare professional fails to provide the standard of care that a reasonably competent professional would provide in similar circumstances, resulting in harm to the patient.
To have a valid medical negligence claim, three elements must be present:
Failure to correctly diagnose a condition, or delayed diagnosis leading to worsening health or unnecessary treatment.
Mistakes during surgery including wrong-site surgery, damage to organs, or retained surgical instruments.
Negligence during pregnancy, labor, or delivery causing harm to mother or baby, including cerebral palsy and Erb's palsy.
Wrong medication prescribed, incorrect dosage, or failure to identify dangerous drug interactions.
Infections contracted in hospital due to poor hygiene standards or inadequate infection control.
Substandard dental treatment causing unnecessary pain, nerve damage, or tooth loss.
Failure to properly triage or treat emergency conditions, or delayed treatment in emergency departments.
Proceeding with treatment without properly explaining risks and obtaining valid consent.
Medical negligence compensation varies significantly based on the severity of injuries and their impact on your life. Cases can range from thousands to millions of euros.
Factors Affecting Compensation:
Important: Medical negligence claims do NOT go through the Injuries Board (PIAB). They are pursued directly through the courts or negotiated with the medical provider's insurer.
We discuss your case and assess whether you have grounds for a medical negligence claim.
We obtain your complete medical records and review them with medical experts.
Independent medical experts assess whether the standard of care was breached.
We send a formal letter of claim to the healthcare provider detailing the negligence.
We negotiate with the provider's insurance company to secure fair compensation.
If necessary, we take your case to court and fight for the compensation you deserve.
Standard Time Limit: You generally have 2 years from the date you became aware (or should reasonably have become aware) of the negligence to issue court proceedings.
Children: If the victim was a minor, the 2-year period doesn't begin until they turn 18.
Date of Knowledge: In medical negligence cases, the clock may not start ticking until you discover the negligent treatment, which may be years after the actual treatment.
Don't delay: Even if you think you may be outside the time limit, contact us. Special circumstances may apply to your case.
Medical negligence claims are among the most complex personal injury cases. They require:
Our solicitors have this specialized knowledge and have successfully represented clients in claims against hospitals, GPs, consultants, and other healthcare providers throughout Ireland.
We understand that medical negligence cases are deeply personal and often involve significant trauma. When healthcare professionals fail you, it can shatter your trust in the medical system.
We provide:
You're right. Medicine involves risks, and not all adverse outcomes result from negligence. Negligence occurs when the healthcare provider fails to meet the standard of care that a reasonably competent professional would provide. We can assess whether your case meets this threshold.
If your claim is against a specific healthcare provider, they will be notified. However, if you're concerned about ongoing treatment relationships, we can discuss how to handle this sensitively.
Medical negligence claims typically take 2-4 years to resolve, though some complex cases take longer. The timeline depends on the complexity of the medical issues, the strength of the evidence, and whether the case goes to trial.
Possibly. The time limit starts when you became aware (or should have become aware) of the negligence. Contact us to discuss your specific situation—you may still be within the time limit.
If you suspect you've been a victim of medical negligence, contact our specialist solicitors for a free, confidential consultation.