Sepsis Negligence Claims

You may be able to make a sepsis negligence claim if healthcare professionals failed to recognise, diagnose or treat sepsis within a reasonable time and this caused avoidable injury, a poorer outcome or death. Independent medical evidence will usually be needed to establish whether the treatment fell below an acceptable standard.

Sepsis is a life-threatening reaction to an infection in which the body’s immune response begins to damage its own tissues and organs. It can progress rapidly and may lead to septic shock, organ failure, limb damage or death without urgent medical treatment.

Claims may arise from a failure to recognise warning signs, delays in arranging blood tests or observations, failure to diagnose the underlying infection, delays in administering antibiotics or fluids, inadequate monitoring or failure to escalate a deteriorating patient to senior or intensive care staff.

You may have grounds for a claim if symptoms of sepsis were wrongly attributed to flu, gastroenteritis or another condition and you were discharged or left without appropriate treatment. A claim will depend on whether a competent healthcare professional should have recognised the risk of sepsis sooner.

Yes. Prompt antibiotics and supportive treatment are often critical when sepsis is suspected. If an unreasonable delay in treatment allowed the infection to progress and caused avoidable harm, you may be entitled to pursue a sepsis compensation claim.

A claim may be possible where a GP failed to recognise symptoms of serious infection or sepsis, did not arrange urgent hospital admission, failed to prescribe appropriate treatment or did not provide suitable safety-netting advice when the patient’s condition required escalation.

Yes. Hospital sepsis claims may involve failures in emergency departments, medical wards, maternity units, surgical departments or intensive care. Examples include missed deterioration, inadequate observations, delayed antibiotics, poor infection management or failures to follow recognised sepsis protocols.

Delayed diagnosis or treatment can result in septic shock, organ damage, brain injury, limb amputation, chronic pain, fatigue, psychological trauma and long-term care needs. In the most serious cases, sepsis can be fatal.

Compensation may cover pain and suffering, medical treatment, rehabilitation, prosthetics, psychological therapy, care, adapted accommodation, travel expenses, loss of earnings and future financial losses. The value of the claim will depend on the severity and long-term consequences of the injury.

Your solicitor will usually obtain medical records, observation charts, blood test results, treatment notes and relevant hospital policies. Independent experts may then assess whether sepsis should have been recognised earlier and whether prompt treatment would probably have produced a better outcome.

A parent or suitable adult may bring a claim on behalf of a child or someone who lacks mental capacity. A claim may also be brought through the deceased person’s estate or by eligible dependants if negligent sepsis care contributed to the death of a loved one.

In most cases, court proceedings must be started within three years of the negligent treatment or the date you first became aware that negligence may have caused the injury. Different rules apply to children and people who lack mental capacity, so early advice is recommended.

Many sepsis negligence claims are resolved through negotiation without a full trial. Court proceedings may still need to be issued to protect the claim or resolve disputed issues. Your solicitor will explain each stage and support you throughout.

No Win No Fee funding, also known as a Conditional Fee Agreement, may be available for suitable sepsis claims. Wollens can assess your circumstances and explain the funding options, potential costs and any applicable deductions before you decide whether to proceed.