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There are misguided elements within the UK's media who like to put pressure on people to try and dissuade them from making a medical negligence claim.
One school of thought among civil libertarians is that it is downright immoral for the media to be writing sensationalist headlines about a compensation claim culture'.
I, for one, wholeheartedly agree with this opinion. It can only be wrong that for someone who has suffered medical negligence at the hands of a hospital professional, making a medical negligence claim should be complicated by issues of guilt. A medical negligence claim is a very serious issue, one which should be governed by the needs of the individual, not the popularist prejudices of some sensationalist headline writer from a tabloid newspaper.
A specialist spokesperson from medical negligence claim experts YouClaim offers a sobering, reality based and sensationalism free view on medical negligence claims in the UK, "Only a few years ago, our panel of personal injury solicitors were accustomed to dealing with far fewer clinical negligence claims than they are today.
"The picture we have today is quite different to the one that existed in the past. Increasingly, we're seeing a rise in the number of medical negligence claims we're receiving. They are for an extensive variety of reasons. We take on claims for birth injuries, hospital-acquired infections, misdiagnoses, botched operations or simple issues of hygiene and infection.
"I firmly see it as our duty to help people achieve the compensation claim payouts they deserve for having their lives put at risk and their health compromised by substandard and negligent medical care.
"We are in the business of helping restore ruined human lives so we will never bow to media ignorance of the real issues surrounding medical negligence claims.
"I've no doubt that if the clique of journalists who like to demonise a supposed compensation claim culture' examined, on a case-by-case basis, the majority of no win, no fee claims we receive they would have no choice but to concede that the conditional fee [no win, no fee] agreement is acting unambiguously in the public interest."
I decided to put this theory to the test, so rang around some of my old media and journalism degree classmates until I found one willing to talk to me for the purposes of my experiment.
Chris (allowing me to use his first name was his only concession to the condition that he remain anonymous or risk provoking the fury of his editor) fitted the bill perfectly as he now works as a news writer for a tabloid newspaper.
I decided not to beat around the bush and got straight to the point (surely that is the tabloid style?).
"Chris, when I say the words no win, no fee claim', what are the first things that spring to your mind."
Chris replied with barely a moment's pause, "Compensation claim culture, greedy solicitors taking extortionate cuts and fakes and malingerers trying to make a buck."
Okay, not a great start, but I was ready to enlighten him.
"I think I can confidently counter all three of your accusations. Firstly, compensation claim culture is your own prejudice. Secondly, you say greedy solicitors', yet our panel of personal injury solicitors don't ever touch a penny of our client's compensation. And, thirdly, there are very few fakes and malingerers out there.
"In the rare instance we do receive a fraudulent case, we soon weed it out."
Chris seemed a little won over, but he was still making sceptical noises.
"Look, Chris." I said, "If you're not convinced now, I'm sure the details of some of the medical negligence claims we take on will help win you over to the efficacy and justice at the heart of the UK's compensation claim system."
At that point I showed Chris a table briefly detailing some of the medical negligence claims we receive.
As Chris flipped through the pages I observed the expression on his face change from one of cynical disdain to one of baffled concern.
All he had to go on was information relating to the medical negligence claimant's age, family situation, health and medical negligence complaint, but it is from such details that the picture of a human story can emerge.
I allowed Chris a little time to take it all in before asking, "Are these medical negligence claims, do you think, evidence of a compensation claim culture'?"
"I see no reason why any of these people should be denied medical negligence compensation." He replied, "But you're only one no win, no fee claims provider. There are hundreds out there. Perhaps you're just one good egg in a large nest of bad ones."
I leave my meeting with Chris thinking that at least I've made some progress and that if we're a good egg, then the media Chris represents is a very tough nut to crack indeed.
This article may be published on another website free of charge, on the condition that a link is provided from this article to our website: http://www.youclaim.co.uk/medical-negligence-compensation-costs.htm
