Central Gippsland Health Service Medical Negligence Compensation Claim Solicitors
Most Australian hospitals provide high standards of medical care and treatment. However, when something goes wrong, the consequences can be severe. If, as a patient, you have been injured by negligent treatment provided by the Central Gippsland Health Service (Heyfield Hospital, Maffra Campus, or Sale Campus) in Victoria, you have the right to seek legal advice.
Our Victorian medical negligence solicitors specialise in handling compensation claims involving hospital negligence. They have handled numerous claims involving incompetent care by doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff. Contact our legal team to discuss your concerns and any rights you may have to compensation. This is an obligation-free service.
Standard of Care
The standard of care for professionals such as doctors is the standard of "peer professional opinion", s.59(1) of the Wrongs Act 1958 (Vic). So in the case of a doctor being sued, the doctor's peers (through expert evidence), determine whether the treatment provided was competent professional practice. However, the court has some power to reject such evidence if it believes that the professional opinion is irrational. Once it has been established that the standard of care was below par, the court will also examine other legal criteria such as causation, and damage, before awarding compensation.
Compensation
Compensation is calculated according to various heads of damage such as economic loss and non-economic loss. Economic loss includes compensation for loss of income, medical expenses, and other out-of-pocket expenses such as equipment aides and pharmaceuticals. Non-economic loss includes compensation for loss of amenities, pain and suffering and loss of life expectancy.
Hospital Deaths
When a patient dies as a result of negligent hospital treatment, family members may be able to sue for loss of dependency type payments, funeral expenses, and compensation for psychological injury or "nervous shock". As a separate issue, the coroner will often investigate the death and hold a coronial inquest. Our medical negligence lawyers are able to provide advice on hospital death compensation claims and legal representation at coroner's inquests.
No Win No Fee
All of our solicitors offer representation under a No Win No Fee policy. The effect of a No Win No Fee agreement is that you do not have to pay your lawyer's professional charges if your matter is discontinued after investigation, or if you lose your case. For further information on how legal costs operate under a No Win No Fee agreement, please call our helpline and speak to a member of our legal team.
Limitation Period
There are strict time limits which apply to personal injury matters including medical negligence compensation claims. Limitation periods vary depending upon which State the accident occurred, the age of the person at the time of the alleged negligence, and various other factors. If you would like advice on how much time you have to commence legal action, you should call our helpline. It is best not to delay in seeking legal advice. Failure to take action within the time period required by law, may mean you lose your compensation rights.