Diabetes Compensation Claims

Whether it's type 1, type 2 or gestational, diabetes is a serious medical condition. It affects millions worldwide and needs careful monitoring and management.

Unfortunately, doctors and medical professionals do make mistakes which can cause complications.

Common Causes of Diabetes Compensation Claims

Diabetes compensation claims can arise when patients suffer harm due to medical negligence, usually in diagnosing, managing, or treating their diabetes.

Common causes for diabetes compensation claims include:

Delayed Diagnosis or Misdiagnosis

Delayed or complete diabetes misdiagnosis can include:

• Failing to diagnose - This could lead to preventable complications.
• Misdiagnosing the type of diabetes - For example, diagnosing Type 2 instead of Type 1 or vice versa.
• Incorrect diagnosis of diabetes – This can not only cause delays in necessary treatment, but can also result in unnecessary treatment or procedures being given.

Failure to Monitor and Manage

Failing to monitor or manage your diabetes can include:

• Not conducting regular blood tests to monitor long-term glucose control.
• Failing to provide or recommend other regular screenings, such as screenings for diabetic retinopathy (eye damage) or nephropathy (kidney disease) for example.
• Not addressing or recognising the signs of deteriorating diabetic control.

Medication Errors

Errors in prescribing medication can include:

• Prescribing the wrong medication or the incorrect dosage.
• Failing to review or adjust medication when necessary, leading to over or under-treatment.
• Not considering potential drug interactions which can affect blood sugar levels.

Inadequate Patient Education

Sometimes, doctors or nursing staff can fail to educate their patients about their diabetes. This can include:

• Not providing information about diabetes self-management, for example, in relation to diet, exercise, and blood sugar monitoring.
• Failing to educate on the symptoms of hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) or hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar) or what to do in these situations.

Surgical or Procedural Complications

Diabetic patients can be at higher risk during certain surgical procedures. Medical professionals sometimes fail to:

• Manage a patient's diabetes during surgeries or procedures, resulting in complications.
• Take proper precautions during procedures that carry higher risks for diabetic patients.

Poor Follow-Up or Referral

Poor administrative procedures or administration mistakes could result in:

• Failing to refer patients to specialists.
• Not scheduling regular follow-ups to monitor and adjust treatment, as and when needed.

Failure to Recognise and Treat Complications

Diabetes often results in other complications like foot ulcers, retinopathy, or nephropathy. Sometimes doctors or other medical professionals can fail to:

• Treat the issues, or
• Consider them as symptoms of diabetes.

If you have experienced harm or problems in relation to such aspects of your diabetes care or management, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact our helpful team today.

Potential Complications of Diabetes Misdiagnosis Or Mismanagement

Failure to diagnose or manage diabetes can lead to a range of complications. They can be both acute and chronic. The severity of these complications can vary, based on:

• Whether you have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, and
• How long your condition has gone undiagnosed or mismanaged.

Some potential problems and complications which can arise include the following:

Acute Complications

Acute complications due to misdiagnosis or mismanagement of diabetes often develop suddenly. They include:

• Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA): Usually only occurring in Type 1 diabetes, DKA is often seen in undiagnosed or poorly managed Type 1 diabetes. It can also arise when insulin is missed or where a diabetic individual is suffering from infection. DKA occurs when there's insufficient insulin, leading to high blood sugar levels and a build-up of ketones in the blood, which causes the blood to become acidic. Symptoms of DKA include vomiting, abdominal pain and coma. DKA can be life-threatening and so requires urgent medical treatment.
• Hyperosmolar Hyperglycaemic State (HHS): More common in elderly patients with Type 2 diabetes. HHS can occur when blood sugar levels rise dangerously high and may be triggered by missing medication or infection. It can lead to severe dehydration, seizures and coma.
• Hypoglycaemia: This occurs when blood sugar levels drop too low, often due to excessive insulin, skipped meals, or excessive physical activity. Severe hypoglycaemia is a medical emergency which can result in unconsciousness seizures and death if left untreated

Chronic Complications

Chronic complications often develop slowly and get worse over time, often over months or years. Chronic conditions include:

• Neuropathy (Nerve Damage): High blood sugar can cause nerve damage, especially in your feet. This can lead to tingling, numbness, and pain. Severe cases can result in foot ulcers and, in extreme situations, amputations.
• Nephropathy (Kidney Damage): Diabetes can damage the filtering capability of the kidneys. This could lead to chronic kidney disease or even failure.
• Retinopathy (Eye Damage): Diabetes can damage blood vessels in the retina. This can increase the risk of blindness.
• Cardiovascular Disease: Left unmanaged, diabetes can increase the risk of heart diseases. These include coronary artery disease, heart attack, stroke and atherosclerosis (narrowing of the arteries).
• Gastroparesis: Damage to the nerves that control your stomach muscles. This can lead to slow digestion and a range of gastrointestinal symptoms.
• Periodontal Disease (Gum Disease): Diabetes increases your risk of developing periodontal disease. Left untreated, periodontal disease can result in loss of bone surrounding the gums, leading to tooth mobility and eventual loss of teeth.
• Skin Conditions: Diabetes can make you more susceptible to various skin  infections.
• Osteoporosis: Diabetes can lead to lower bone mineral density. This can increase the risk of fractures and breaks.
• Hearing Impairment: Hearing problems are more common among people with diabetes, particularly in those whose diabetes is poorly controlled.

To prevent or reduce complications, it is crucial to diagnose and treat diabetes and its associated complications early.

What I Can Claim Compensation For?

Compensation covers the cost of any financial losses or damages you have suffered because of negligence. Here's a breakdown of what you might be able to claim for:

• Medical expenses: This could be the cost of treatment, medication, equipment, or rehabilitation. Both now and in the future.
• Out-of-pocket expenses: This includes travel expenses, parking fees at hospitals etc.
• Loss of earnings: Financial loss suffered as a result of taking time off work both now and in the future. This could include lost wages, commissions, pension contributions etc.
• Pain and suffering: This includes physical pain but also any emotional or psychological stress you have gone through.
• Loss of amenity: This is the reduction in your quality of life, for example, if you are no longer able to do the activities you used to.
• Care and assistance: This includes things like help with daily activities and/or personal care.
• Loss of consortium: This covers the negative effects that negligence might have had on your relationship. It could include  loss of intimacy or companionship, or other aspects of the relationship.

Our medical negligence solicitors can provide guidance tailored to your specific situation. We can help you claim the maximum about of compensation for every applicable damage and loss.

Why Choose Ringrose Law?

At Ringrose Law, our motto is, ‘Where individuals count.’

Every person we represent is an individual, with individual experiences and needs. That way we take an individual approach to every medical negligence claim.

That’s why, when you instruct us to represent you, we’ll;

1. Assign you an experienced medical negligence solicitor – to look after you case, from start to finish.
2. Give you their direct contact details – you’ll be able to get in touch with your solicitor whenever you need to.
3. Help you access the best possible treatment – from medical care to physiotherapy and rehabilitation.

We’re also flexible in how we work with you.

If you like a more personal relationship with your solicitor, you can call us or visit us at our offices. In some cases, we can visit you, either at home or in hospital.

Regardless, at Ringrose Law we work hard to claim the maximum amount of compensation for our clients.