A&E Negligence Solicitors – Ireland
At Hanahoe & Hanahoe LLP, our accident and emergency negligence solicitors act for individuals who have suffered injury as a result of negligent treatment, assessment or diagnosis in an Accident and Emergency Department.
Accident and Emergency departments are often busy and fast paced environments. While healthcare professionals are required to make decisions quickly, patients are still entitled to receive an appropriate standard of care.
Where failures in treatment result in avoidable harm, there may be grounds to pursue a medical negligence claim.
Nearly 2 million patients attend A&E Departments throughout Ireland ever year.
With such volumes of patients and the necessity for medical practitioners to make fast decisions and diagnosis’s, it is not surprising that mistakes are made. In fact, nearly 15% of all medical negligence claims* taken in Ireland are Accident and Emergency claims*. At Hanahoe & Hanahoe LLP LLP the most common A&E errors we see are misdiagnosis. Unfortunately making a misdiagnosis in A&E can have serious and sometimes catastrophic consequences for the patient. If you or a loved one have suffered a misdiagnosis or injury due to negligence in an A&E department, you may be entitled to compensation. Our experienced legal team specialises in handling A&E negligence claims* in Ireland, and we are here to help you navigate the process.
Hanahoe & Hanahoe LLP LLP Medical Negligence Solicitors with Offices in Naas, Dublin, Portlaoise, Maynooth and Clane
At Hanahoe & Hanahoe LLP LLP we have the experience and expertise you need to bring an accident and emergency claim*. We act for clients right across the country and we have been advising these clients on medical negligence claims* for over 40 years. We understand the devasting consequences medical negligence can have on patients and what a big and daunting step bringing a medical negligence claim* can be. As such, our team, lead by our Managing Partner Luke Hanahoe, ensure that not only do we give clients proper advice, but that we do so in a clear, kind and compassionate way.
What is A&E Negligence?
A&E negligence refers to situations where the care provided in an emergency department breaches their duty of care to the patient. This could involve:
- Misdiagnosis or Delayed Diagnosis: Failure to correctly diagnose a condition or delay in diagnosis that leads to worsening of the patient’s condition.
- Incorrect Treatment: Providing treatment that is not suitable for the patient’s condition, or failing to provide treatment altogether.
- Inadequate Monitoring: Failing to monitor a patient’s condition properly, leading to deterioration.
- Errors in Medication: Providing incorrect medication or dosage, or failing to recognize adverse drug interactions.
- Poor Communication: Failure to properly communicate with patients or between healthcare providers, leading to confusion or inappropriate care.
Most Commons causes of A&E Negligence
The most common causes of A&E Negligence that we see are:
- Failure to diagnose a fracture
- Failure to diagnose appendicitis
- Failure to diagnose meningitis
- Failure diagnose sepsis
- Failure to diagnose cauda equina
- Failure to diagnose stroke
- Failing to diagnose a bleed on the brain
- Failure to diagnose Deep Vein Thrombosis or a pulmonary embolism
- Failure to take a correct history
- Failure to examine a patient properly
- Failure to make the appropriate referral
- Failure to refer for correct diagnostic tests, scans or blood tests
- Misinterpreting the results of diagnostic tests, scans or blood tests
- Failing to admit a patient who need urgent care
- Discharging a patient from hospital too early or without appropriate advice or follow up
How to Know if You Have a Claim*
In order to determine whether you have a stateable A&E negligence claim*, you will need to get an opinion for an A&E consultant. The A&E consultant will consider the following:
- Was there a breach of duty of care? This means the care you received fell below what is expected from a competent A&E department.
- Did the breach cause harm? There must be a direct link between the negligence and the harm you suffered.
Steps to Take if You Suspect Negligence
- Document Everything: Keep detailed records of your medical treatment, including notes, prescriptions, and any communication with healthcare providers.
- Seek the advice of a medical negligence solicitor*: A solicitor will take a full statement from you and give you their advices as to whether they think you have a potential medical negligence action.
- Obtain Medical Records: A solicitor will have you execute the appropriate authorities to take up your medical records. We would always recommend that you do not just take up your records from the A&E department involved, but also from your GP and any other medical practitioner that you may have seen. These documents will be crucial in assessing your claim.
- Brief the appropriate expert: Once you have taken up your medical notes, you will need to brief a suitably qualified expert, in this instance an A&E consultant, to provide you with their opinion as to whether there has been a breach of duty of care.
- Brief a medical negligence barrister*: If you obtain an opinion from an A&E consultant stating that there was negligence, you will need to brief a barrister with experience in medical negligence claims to draft the appropriate proceedings.
Why Choose Hanahoe & Hanahoe LLP LLP
- Expertise in A&E Negligence: Our team has extensive experience in handling claims related to emergency department negligence*.
- Personalized Service: We offer tailored advice and support, ensuring that your case is handled with the attention and care it deserves.
Get in Touch
If you would like more information on A&E negligence claims* or indeed anything in relation to medical negligence*, one of our solicitors will be happy to help you
Disclaimer: The information provided on this page is for general purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For professional legal advice specific to your situation, please consult with a qualified medical negligence solicitor*.
Go to a Specialist Medical Negligence Solicitor Firm
Specialist solicitors are best placed to give you legal advice on liability, the appropriate defendants, the statute of limitations and your appropriate compensation.
Why choose Hanahoe & Hanahoe Solicitors?
- Hanahoe & Hanahoe Solicitors have over 40 years experience and have particular expertise in medical negligence claims*.
- We are a multiple award-winning law firm which is headed by our Managing Partner Luke Hanahoe. Luke Hanahoe leads our medical negligence claims* team.
- We have offices in Naas, Dublin, Maynooth and Portlaoise and offer advice to clients on medical negligence claims from across the country.
- If you have a query in relation to A&E negligence or any medical negligence claim please feel free to contact us to talk to one of our expert medical negligence solicitors.