Investigating potential psychological injuries forms part of our investigations into medical negligence claims. That may seem unusual and of course, not all of our clients will have experienced psychological injuries. However, it is something that we need to consider when we look at the injury our client has suffered.
The focus is usually on the physical injury. These are the injuries that most people can identify easily- they can usually see these injuries and they can feel the pain from these injuries. With psychological injuries, it’s not quite as obvious. Sometimes it’s brushed away or not addressed because it’s difficult to talk about. Some people also view a psychological injury as a weakness or something they are ashamed but this should not be the case.
Medical negligence claims are emotive. Our client has been failed by their medical professional, a professional that they trusted. When this treatment involves sensitive issues such as a delay in diagnosis of cancer, an injury to a child or a death, it’s easy to see how that may have had an emotional impact on the individual. Similarly, if our client has been left with an injury that affects them every day, it’s not unexpected that they will feel down or upset.
Psychological injuries manifest in different ways. For some people, they may become upset when they think about the events or triggers that remind them of it. Other people suffer from flashbacks and nightmares. Some clients become anxious and fearful of attending hospital or the dentist. Alternatively, clients may avoid going out or socialising. This is not an exhaustive list of symptoms but an example of how an event can impact you.
Some of our clients may have had a formal diagnosis of their psychological injury by a doctor. On other occasions, our clients have not sought help or perhaps they haven’t realised the extent of it yet. Examples of psychological injuries can include; anxiety, depression, adjustment disorders or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Here at Mark Reynolds, we take the time to get to know our medical negligence clients. We spend time discussing the impact that the events have had on you and how you feel it has affected you. We listen to you. If we feel that you may have suffered psychological harm as a result of your poor treatment, we will investigate this thoroughly.
If you would like to discuss a potential claim with us, please contact us on 01925 418004 to talk to one of our specialist clinical negligence solicitors.