People who are looking for a review of healthcare regulations, an apology or to make a claim against a medical professional will build up a working relationship with their legal representative.
The client will have to share personal details of their experience, discuss the impact on their domestic life, career and relationships and will work very closely with their solicitor for months and sometimes years to reach settlement of their claim.
For these reasons there are various specialist skills and personal attributes that a good clinical negligence lawyer must have in order to put their client and ease and achieve the best possible outcome.
#1 Trust
Trust is one of the most important aspects for an individual looking to engage with a solicitor. After experiencing an injury or death of a loved one, most people are at a very low point in their life and are not sure where to turn. It is important that a solicitor is instructed who the client feels confident speaking to. Throughout the claim it will be necessary to talk about very personal experiences and discuss various matters relating to ongoing symptoms, relationships, employment etc, and complete trust, discretion and confidentiality are key attributes of a good clinical negligence solicitor.
#2 Compassion & Understanding
It is important for solicitors to be sympathetic to their client’s circumstances whilst maintaining a professional relationship. A clinical negligence solicitor is often instructed at a very difficult time during a client’s life and a kind and understanding lawyer is essential.
#3 Organisation
A solicitor is often looking after several cases at once, all of which will be at various stages. Being organised is vital to keep all claims moving forward and to be able to provide the best client care.
#4 Communication
A medical negligence case can run for several months or even years, depending on the complexity of the case. It is important that a good working relationship is built up over this time. Solicitors should keep clients updated regularly and avoid complicated legal terminology.
#5 Medical Knowledge
Although a solicitor who specialises in clinical negligence cases is not a qualified medical professional, a good understanding of the basics and the processes that medical professionals follow does help. A lot of research and reviewing of medical notes is involved in this area of law, as well as working closely with medical professionals, and therefore this knowledge is built up over time.
#6 Tenacious Litigators
Along with being compassionate, kind and patient, a clinical negligence solicitor is ultimately a litigator. They will be their client’s advocate and work hard to achieve the best possible settlement.
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Making a claim will see that any mistakes made are fully investigated and that changes are put in place to ensure that others do not suffer in the same way. It will also award financial compensation which will compensate for not only your pain and suffering, but also for your loss of earnings and any future care or treatment required.
If you feel that you or a loved one may have a clinical negligence claim, please call our team of specialist lawyers on 01256 844888, email enquiries@lambbrooks.com or speak to our online assistant who is available to chat 24/7.
The contents of this article are for the purposes of general awareness only. They do not purport to constitute legal or professional advice. The law may have changed since this article was published. Readers should not act on the basis of the information included and should take appropriate professional advice upon their own particular circumstances.