Lawyer's MRSA pay-out alert
A Wigan legal expert in clinical negligence today warned hospital trusts that they could face a surge of new claims after Lesley Ash's record £5m out-of-court settlement for contracting a super-bug.
The actress was left with long-term disabilities by MSSA, a bacteria similar to MRSA, while a patient at Chelsea and Westminster hospital.
The deal set a new record for compensation in a case of hospital-acquired infections and people who contract such superbugs are now expected to be more encouraged than ever to make their own claims, says Louise Griffiths.
The clinical negligence lawyer at Wigan-based law firm Stephensons said: "This record sum should act as a huge wake-up call for hospitals who do not give cleanliness the priority it requires.
"Undoubtedly, the level of the compensation will have a knock-on effect on the number of new claims for hospital-acquired infections.
"However, it's worth noting that the majority of the pay-out was likely to be for financial losses flowing from the negligence, in this case loss of potential future earnings, rather than for the actual injury."
Ms Griffiths is head of Stephensons' clinical negligence department, and regularly handles claims from patients who believe they have contracted a hospital-acquired infection.
It specialises in cases involving MRSA and C: difficile.
She said: "MRSA is a normally harmless bacteria which lives on the skin of approximately a third of the population, and is generally passed on by hospital staff to those undergoing surgery or with open wounds.
Being so widespread, it's extremely difficult to prove a patient contracted their illness while in hospital.
"Hospital-acquired infection cases are extremely complex, in that it has to be proved that the patient contracted the bug during their hospital visit and had not been carrying it prior to this.
"However, Lesley Ash's case proves a positive outcome is achievable and our firm has extensive experience in successfully securing compensation for our clients."
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Thursday 02 September 2010
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