How long do I have to pursue a claim for when a hospital nurse gave me the wrong medicine?
The amount of time you will have to pursue a claim for when a hospital nurse gave you the wrong medicine is going to be dependent on a number of factors. One of the main factors will be whether or not you suffered medical consequences from this incorrect medicine being provided in the hospital. If you did not suffer an illness or the deterioration of an existing condition from being administered this incorrect medicine, it will not be possible to make a claim. If you did indeed suffer medical consequences, like with most medical negligence claims, you will have two years to pursue a claim in accordance with the Irish Statute of Limitations.
The date that this two year time limit for pursuing compensation for the wrong medicine given by a nurse in hospital begins is the date that any medical consequence you suffered is determined to have been caused by being given the wrong medicine. There are a number of exceptions to this two year time limit, however they are quite rare. To find out if any of them apply to you and how the Statute may affect your potential claim for when the hospital nurse gave you the wrong medicine, you should make an appointment for a consultation with a medical negligence claims solicitor at the first available opportunity.
Although two years may seem like a sufficient amount of time to make a claim for the wrong medicine being given to you by a nurse in hospital, it is always best to find out the viability of your claim as soon as you can. Unforeseen delays can often arise with pursuing claims, and medical negligence claims are generally quite complicated. Claiming compensation for the incorrect medicine being provided in hospital could be difficult due to the fact that establishing medical negligence is a complex process, even though being given the wrong medicine may appear to be a clear sign of negligence.
After you inform them of your particular situation and the subsequent impact your illness from being given the wrong medicine has had on your life, your solicitor will be able to advise you about whether or not your claim is worth pursuing. If they think that it could be of sufficient strength, they will show your hospital notes to an independent medical expert who will decide if negligence did take place and who the negligent party might have been. Based on what they conclude, your solicitor may offer you legal representation and proceed with your claim.
The information provided here relating to the Statute of Limitations two year time limit and claiming for when a hospital nurse gave you the wrong medicine is general advice. It is in no way a substitute to obtaining professional legal advice from a solicitor who has experience in medical negligence claims at the first possible opportunity.