Sumit Morjaria
Senior associate
Sumit Morjaria
Sumit is a senior associate working in the medical negligence department.
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Delivering legal expertise since 11845
Diabetes claims
Diabetes can be difficult to live with, especially if your condition worsens due to mismanagement, misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis by medical professionals. The results of these failures can be life-changing and even life-threatening. In these cases, we help patients bringing diabetes claims access the financial and medical support they need and get their life back on track.
A different kind of law firm
According to Diabetes UK, more than 4.9 million people in the UK have diabetes – and more people are at risk than ever before. Having dealt with a wide range of diabetes compensation claims, our experts know an early diagnosis and getting the correct treatment is crucial. The consequences of failures in either area can be devastating for patients and their families.
If you’ve experienced mismanagement, diabetes misdiagnosis or a missed diabetes diagnosis, you may be able to bring a claim for compensation. We work with leading medical experts to secure the best possible results for our clients, ease their worries and account for their lifelong needs.
What leads to diabetes claims?
Diabetes is a serious, lifelong condition. If one or multiple medical professionals fail to meet minimum standards for its diagnosis and/or care and your health suffers as a result, you could have grounds to make a diabetes claim.
These cases can come about due to a range of failures that typically fall into one or more of three categories:
- Diabetes mistreatment: You’re given incorrect treatment, medication or advice for your condition.
- Diabetes misdiagnosis: Your condition is mistaken for another such as pancreatitis, or type 2 diabetes when you have type 1.
- Missed diabetes diagnosis: Your condition goes unnoticed or is spotted late, despite you reporting symptoms.
It could be one or several of these failures that cause your health to worsen. Identifying such errors and who’s to blame can be difficult, especially when you’re busy dealing with the consequences. But we can help pinpoint mistakes and how they should have been avoided - just like we did for Mr Williams, securing a six-figure settlement without going to a trial.
Mr Williams underwent a below-knee amputation after medical professionals failed to refer him for timely treatment of a painful ulcer on his right foot.
Mr Williams' storyHow can mismanagement, misdiagnosis or a missed diabetes diagnosis affect you?
Diabetes poses several health risks, with accurate and early diagnosis helping prevent the need for surgery and other major treatments later on. Delayed or incorrect treatment, on the other hand, can increase their impacts greatly.
The most serious potential effects include:
- Amputation: Diabetes can cause problems with circulation to your feet. If left untreated, small cuts can lead to serious infections and eventually amputation. Diabetes leads to around 9,600 leg, toe or foot amputations every year in the UK.
- Partial or full blindness: Diabetes may also affect the blood vessels in your eye. Regular screening is key, as is prompt treatment for damage that could impair vision.
- Kidney failure: Damage to the blood vessels in your kidneys reduces their effectiveness in clearing toxins from your body. This could lead to kidney failure without treatment.
- Heart attack or stroke: Diabetes increases the risk of cardiovascular problems due to excess glucose in the blood. If the arteries carrying blood to your heart or brain become blocked, this could cause a heart attack or stroke.
- Nerve damage: You may also suffer pain, numbness or tingling in your hands due to nerve damage, restricting your ability to complete everyday tasks.
- Sexual dysfunction: High blood sugar levels, blood pressure and blood fats can cause erectile dysfunction in men, as well as numbness or dryness in women.
Often, suffering these symptoms due to mismanagement or an incorrect or missed diabetes diagnosis causes greater psychological effects for patients and families too. This can be true if you’re forced to go through more aggressive treatment than you otherwise would have, such as amputation – and, of course, if you experience a loss.
Our team has experience with a broad range of diabetes claims and the impacts such events can have. But we’ve also seen the benefits that making a claim can bring, from lifelong financial and medical support to emotional respite.
What to do next
Whether you’ve suffered due to poor treatment, missed diagnosis of type 1 diabetes or another type of negligence, we’re here to advise you on your options. We have many years’ experience of both the law and the practical issues you may be facing. Get in touch for an initial chat about your case today, free of charge.
Call us on 0370 086 8687 or message us through the button below – whichever you prefer.
Message usShoosmiths – diabetes claims experts
How can Shoosmiths help?
Diabetes has the power to control and change how you live and view life, particularly if you suffer an amputation. If you’re experiencing difficult times through no fault of your own, having our experienced professionals by your side can help you see a better future.
We can advise you on the chances of making a successful claim and talk you through what happens next. If you go ahead, our team will begin building the strongest possible case while guiding you every step of the way.
That includes advising on the support immediately available to you, as well as potentially securing interim payments to help pay for care while your case progresses. We’ll also work to establish fair compensation for your future needs, covering things like aids and adaptations, and can help arrange the best possible care.
Why choose Shoosmiths to help with your diabetes claim?
Our lawyers are among the most experienced and respected in the UK and have strong ties with leading medical experts. Their support can be crucial not only to the success of your claim but also to your comfort during the process and afterwards.
Like all medical negligence cases, diabetes claims can be complex and fiercely defended. But here are just some of the reasons why you can feel confident having us in your corner:
- We’re accredited by the Law Society Personal Injury Panel, Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) and Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA).
- Our lawyers are recognised as top tier in the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners UK legal directories for their expertise in handling clinical negligence claims.
- We’re signed up to the APIL/Forum of Insurance Lawyers (FOIL) Guide to the Conduct of Cases Involving Serious Injury and the Headway Personal Injury Lawyers Code of Conduct.
We’ve helped thousands of people who’ve been left in similar positions to you. But don’t just take our word for it – read their stories to see how our hard work has helped others.
Start your journey today
To learn more about how we can support your diabetes misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis or mismanagement claim, contact us for free today. You can call 0370 086 8687 or message us to arrange a call back for a convenient time. Alternatively, book a visit to one of our locations across the UK. We can even come to you at home or in hospital.
How to make a diabetes claim with Shoosmiths
If you’ve suffered due to mismanagement or a false or missed diabetes diagnosis, call us on 0370 086 8687 or message our specialists. We’ll let you know if you can make a claim and explain what comes next. We’re here to help get you the best possible result and move on with your life.
Message usOur diabetes claims experts
Our lawyers are here to give you the specialist support you need.
Diabetes claims FAQs
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Why should you make a diabetes claim?
Starting legal proceedings may seem intimidating. But our team is here to handle the hard work and show you the positive difference a successful claim can make.
The driving purpose of diabetes compensation is to get your life back to the fullest extent possible. Depending on the severity of your condition, that could mean covering the cost of care, sourcing aids such as prosthetics, and making alterations to your home. It could also ease your financial worries if you’re no longer able to work in the same way as before.
Bringing a claim can also provide answers and closure on what may have been an incredibly challenging part of your life. By uncovering what went wrong and why, you could help prevent similar mistakes from happening again while feeling able to move forward with your life.
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Can you claim for a false diabetes diagnosis or mismanagement?
For a successful claim, our lawyers must be able to prove the care you received fell below expected healthcare standards. They must then show it directly caused or contributed to your condition worsening and resulted in a loss.
Ticking both these boxes can be complex and time-consuming, so it’s important to choose lawyers with sufficient experience and expertise specific to your claim. Thankfully, you’re in safe hands with our legal experts.
We offer a free, no-obligation consultation to chat through your situation and advise if and how we can help you. Call 0370 086 8687 or send us a message to find out if you have a viable diabetes claim.
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How much does it cost to bring a claim?
Taking legal action might seem like an expense you can’t or don’t want to afford. But we take most cases on a no win no fee basis, which minimises any financial risk to you if your claim is unsuccessful.
If your claim is successful, our lawyers will charge their full costs and deduct anything they can’t recover from the defendant from your compensation. We always aim to keep this amount low to make sure your diabetes compensation is as useful to you as possible.
Your initial consultation won’t cost you a penny. If we think you have grounds for a claim, we’ll explain all your funding options and advise you on what’s most suitable. In the meantime, read our guide to funding your claim.
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How long does a diabetes claim take?
Each case is different, so it’s difficult to say until we know more about your claim.
Simple cases with clear and undeniable fault can be settled quickly. But if your condition is more serious, your claim could take longer. This is because we’ll need to establish the full extent of your injury and make sure your future needs are accounted for.
Your claim will also take longer if there are multiple defendants and if any of them dispute fault. But whatever the details and timescales of your case, we’ll stay in contact and keep you up to date every step of the way.
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How much diabetes compensation could you receive?
Unfortunately, there is no standard figure we can provide for amputation, diabetes misdiagnosis compensation, type 1 diabetes compensation or any other claim scenario. Your compensation will be specific to your condition and what’s needed to put you back in the same financial position you were in before experiencing medical negligence.
Our lawyers and medical experts will work together to establish fair compensation for your needs. This could include costs such as:
- ‘General damages’ for disability, pain and suffering
- ‘Special damages’ for financial loss suffered due to a false or missed diagnosis
- Medical expenses for equipment, medicine and private care
- Travel expenses for journeys and stays related to your diagnosis or treatment
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Are there time limits for making diabetes claims?
You’ll usually have three years from the date that negligence occurred or you became aware of its effects. There are some exceptions:
- You can claim diabetes compensation on behalf of a child at any point until their 18th birthday. That is when their three-year time limit will start.
- If you’re acting on behalf of someone who lacks the mental capacity to make a claim, the three-year time limit only begins if and when they regain capacity.
Whatever the circumstances, it’s always best to get in touch with our lawyers as soon as possible. This will give us the best chance to build a strong case with accurate evidence, as well as help you get compensation for your needs sooner.
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Can you make a diabetes claim on behalf of someone else?
You can start a diabetes mismanagement or misdiagnosis claim for someone else if:
- You’re their parent or guardian and they’re under 18 years old
- They don’t have the capacity to claim themselves because of their condition
- They passed away from their illness
If you’re not sure about your position, call us for a no-obligation chat on 0370 086 8687.
What our clients say
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