The compensation that you may be entitled to through a claim for a hospital infection depends on two main factors:
· the degree of harm caused by the infection
· the financial costs or losses incurred as a result
When you begin the process of filing a claim, your hospital negligence solicitor will take these factors into account. They will help you document all of the ways that your hospital infection affected your quality of life and financial situation in order to calculate the amount of compensation that you may be entitled to.
The result of these calculations will result in figures for general damages and special damages.
General damages are awarded based on the degree of pain, suffering and loss of amenity (PSLA) that you can demonstrate were a result of your hospital acquired infection.
Special damages are rewarded to compensate you for financial losses and expenses that you can demonstrate you incurred as a result of the hospital acquired infection.
Special damages can include the following items, among others, which your solicitor will help you determine:
· Lost wages or earnings (including future wages or earnings)
· Cost of medical treatments
· Cost of physiotherapy following the infection
· Other costs of care
· Costs of adapting your home or car for any medical needs
The typical compensation awarded for hospital infections
The table below provides a guide to the potential compensation awarded, however the final compensation figure will be determined by the Court. Contact our claims experts to discuss the potential compensation you could be entitled to.
| Reason for compensation | Typical compensation amount | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Loss of anticipated earnings | £10,000 – £400,000 | This payout is calculated based on future earning potential, as well as your current pay grade. There is potential for a higher payout than the maximum in some cases. |
| Loss of benefits | £5,000 – £500,000 | This payout is designed to compensate you for actual income lost. There is potential for a higher payout than the maximum in some cases. |
| Pain and suffering | £1,000 – £200,000 | The level of pain and suffering experienced will dictate the amount of money received. |
| Mental anguish | £3,550 | Fear of death and expectation of end of life. |
| Kidney infection | Up to £48,650 | This is where there is a significant risk of total loss of natural kidney function or future urinary tract infection. |
| Spleen infection | £15,800 – £20,000 | Loss of spleen where there is a continual risk of internal disorders and infection as a consequence of the damage to the immune system. |
| Minor injuries – recovery within three months | £1,050 – £1,860 | |
| Minor injuries – recovery within 28 days | £525 – £1,050 | |
| Minor injuries -recovery within seven days | A few hundred pounds – £525 | |
| Illness from a non-traumatic injury – minor | £700 – £3,000 | Varying degrees of diarrhoea, as well as disabling cramps and pain, continuing for some days or weeks. |
| Illness from a non-traumatic injury – moderate | £3,000 – £7,250 | Symptoms that last for numerous weeks, but there is full recovery within a year or two. Symptoms can include the likes of fatigue, alteration of bowel function, stomach cramps, and significant discomfort. |
| Illness from a non-traumatic injury – moderately severe | £7,250 – £14,600 | Vomiting and diarrhoea that lasts for a two to four-week period with some bowel function disturbance and remaining discomfort. These consequences will last for a long period of time. |
| Illness from a non-traumatic injury – severe | £29,200 – £39,900 | Severe toxicosis, which causes fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, and serious acute pain. There will also be irritable bowel syndrome and continuing incontinence. |
