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MRSA Infection Claims

If you or a member of your family has contracted MRSA during a stay in hospital, and you believe that this disease might have been caused because of the hospital’s clinical negligence, our specialist personal injury lawyers may be able to help you claim compensation. Contact us today on 0800 032 8511 for claim advice, or by completing a claim enquiry form.

About MRSA

Symptoms of MRSA Infection
MRSA Treatment
Preventing the Spread of MRSA Infection
Making a Clinical Negligence Claim
Compensation
Our Clinical Negligence Lawyers

About MRSA

A usually harmless bacteria, MRSA, or Methycillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, can cause a number of infections if it enters the body. Methycillin is a type of penicillin and is used as an antibiotic drug.

The MRSA bacteria is fairly common and can be found on up to 30% of people, on the skin or in the nose. For healthy individuals, the bacteria does not normally pose a risk, however those that are unwell or have a deep wound are at an increased risk of developing an infection. Generally MRSA affects hospital patients, in particular those that have undergone surgery or have a weak immune system.

An infection can be caused when the bacteria enters a person’s system, for example through a drip site or wound. The type of infection caused can vary, from abscesses or septic wounds to life threatening infections of the bloodstream.

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Symptoms of MRSA Infection

Dependent upon whether the MRSA bacteria has caused a skin infection or entered the bloodstream, the symptoms and severity of infection that a sufferer may experience can vary.  Examples of problems that can occur include:

• Skin abscesses
• Cellulitis
• Boils
• Impetigo
• Wound infection and discharge
• Delayed wound healing
• Septicaemia
• Pneumonia
• Infections of the heart lining
• Septic shock

With some more serious infections, patients can experience symptoms such as fever, tiredness and joint pain.   Swabs and sometimes blood or urine samples can be used to diagnose an MRSA infection.

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MRSA Treatment

Most cases of MRSA can be treated with certain types of strong antibiotics. This can be a long process however and can often involve a lengthy stay in hospital.

A full recovery is usually possible, however sometimes a patient will be left with long term effects such as scarring. Unfortunately, serious cases of MRSA infection can also be fatal.

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Preventing the Spread of MRSA Infection

MRSA can be spread through skin contact, via towels and bedsheets or through contact with equipment.  It is therefore very important that hygiene and cleanliness standards are made a priority.

A large number of MRSA cases are caused by insufficient hygiene measures in hospitals. Procedures such as stringent hand washing by hospital staff, the regular cleaning of wards with suitable disinfectants and full use of disposable gloves and gowns are all simple but effective ways of preventing the spread of infection.

Generally, all wounds should be kept clean and covered where possible and anyone known to be infected should be isolated from other patients.  Hospitals should have a policy on how to deal with MRSA.

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Making a Clinical Negligence Claim

If you have been affected by MRSA, it is important to seek prompt legal advice from a specialist personal injury lawyer. They can collate all of the necessary information and evidence to bring your claim and advise you on the best way forward.

You should try to record as much information as possible, including details of any medical treatment you have received and any expenses you have incurred relating to your injury/illness.

In every case, medical evidence will be required and it is necessary to show that the person you are making a claim against owed you a duty of care, that they breached that duty of care (were negligent), and that the injury or illness you sustained was a reasonably foreseeable consequence of that negligence.

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Compensation

There are two elements to a compensation award.

The first, called general damages, is for the pain and suffering you may have gone through and any loss of amenity (perhaps an inability to wash your car, look after your garden, walk the dog). The award for loss of amenity can be for a short period after you develop MRSA or for ever if that is what the medical evidence supports.

Whereas the first element of compensation cannot make you better and can only really apologise for the damage done, the second element of a compensation award for your losses and expenses, is known as special damages and aims to put you back in the same position financially as if MRSA infection had never occurred. It is important to remember to keep receipts for any expenditure you have incurred related to the illness, so that any losses or expenses can be reclaimed as part of your compensation claim.

In serious cases, where a person may no longer be able to continue their employment, this will be taken into account. Costs for care, equipment, transport and housing modifications can also be factored into the calculations. If the injured person is still able to work but not in the same role as before, particularly if they held a public service role such as a doctor or police officer, an extra amount may be awarded for loss of ‘congenial employment’. A court can also make a financial award to recognise that an injured worker's prospects on the open labour market may be limited.

If a person is fatally injured, a dependent relative such as a widow and children may be able to claim a statutory sum for their bereavement and funeral expenses, in addition to sums for the loss of income and contribution to the household in the form of future losses.

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Our Clinical Negligence Lawyers

The Legal Line lawyers are experts in all areas of personal injury, with extensive experience in recovering compensation for the victims of MRSA infections caused by medical negligence. They can provide specialist claim advice, assistance and guidance in helping you to pursue your claim to the best possible outcome.

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