Surgical Error

When surgery doesn’t go as planned, we are here to help you.

When you undergo surgery, you place your trust in medical professionals. While most surgical procedures are successful, we understand how distressing it can be when things go wrong.

Our experienced Medical Negligence team guides you through the process of understanding your rights and options.

What constitutes surgical negligence?

Surgical negligence occurs when medical professionals fail to provide appropriate care during, before, or after surgery. This may include errors in surgical preparation, the procedure itself, or post-surgical care.

Our team understands that these situations can have life-changing implications for you and your family.

We support clients affected by various forms of surgical negligence, including:

• Surgical damage to internal organs or nerves
• Operations performed on incorrect body parts
• Medical equipment left inside after surgery
• Unnecessary or incorrect procedures
• Anaesthetic complications
• Post-surgical infections
• Nerve damage

Understanding your timeline for making a claim

If you’ve experienced surgical negligence, it’s important to understand your legal position.

The Limitation Act 1980 states that an individual has three years to begin legal proceedings, this period may start from when you first became aware something went wrong, rather than the surgery date itself.

Failure to do so will result in your claim being time barred and will not likely be able to make or continue a claim. However, in medical negligence claims you may not be aware of any incident until after the event.

If that is the case, then the three year limitation can run from a date of knowledge which is calculated as the first occasion when you became aware that something had gone wrong and that it had caused you harm.

We recommend seeking advice early, as building a strong medical negligence claim requires careful preparation. Our team will:

• Listen to your experience with care and understanding
• Explain your options in clear, straightforward terms
• Guide you through each stage of the claims process
• Work with medical experts to support your case