Subarachnoid Haemorrhage Compensation Claims

A subarachnoid haemorrhage is a rare type of stroke caused when blood vessels in the brain burst (typically caused by a brain aneurysm) and leak into the space between the brain and spinal cord. 

In 66% of subarachnoid haemorrhage cases, patients that are not promptly diagnosed and treated might end up experiencing severe ailments such as a coma, death, or lifelong impairment.

Even patients who recover from a subarachnoid haemorrhage may have permanent brain damage, with some people needing care for the remainder of their life.

You could have experienced medical negligence and may be entitled to compensation if the medical professionals caring for you or your loved one miss the early indicators of a subarachnoid haemorrhage, or they failed to take prompt action and conduct the proper scans and tests.

While a successful compensation claim won't ever be able to make up for a lost loved one, or for the trauma that a subarachnoid haemorrhage misdiagnosis can cause, it can give your family the much-needed financial security to take your next steps.

To seek compensation for a subarachnoid haemorrhage, getting expert legal advice is crucial. 

Why choose SDS Solicitors

Negligence related to subarachnoid haemorrhage treatment can significantly affect your life and the lives of your loved ones, causing financial hardships on top of any physical, emotional, and mental trauma. 

Our team has years of experience in giving expert legal advice to people who have suffered through this type of negligent care. In fact, we have been advocating for our clients across England and Wales for decades. 

At SDS Solicitors, we understand that the agony brought on by a subarachnoid haemorrhage misdiagnosis and/or improper care cannot be measured in money. No amount could ever “make up for” what you have experienced. 

But with the right solicitor giving you the best advice, you can make a claim for compensation that helps to alleviate the financial burden of this type of negligence. This gives you and your loved ones the freedom to move forward on your own terms, while also ensuring that those who wronged you will not be able to do the same to anyone else.

From initial consultations, which will give you clarity about your next steps and the options available to you, to supporting you through the process of making a claim, we’re right there with you every step of the way.

For vital information about your next steps, including whether you might have a claim and how much you might be entitled to, get in touch with us right away. To reach us, either dial the number at the top of this page or use our online form.

What are the symptoms of a subarachnoid haemorrhage?

As one of the rarer types of strokes, a subarachnoid haemorrhage is caused by a ruptured blood vessel that causes leakage between the brain and spinal cord. 

These ruptures frequently occur without warning, giving families and medical personnel little time to intervene. That’s why it is so important for doctors, once they have correctly diagnosed the patient with a brain aneurysm or subarachnoid haemorrhage, to act fast.

There are just a few of warning signs, including:

• A severe headache that appeared out of nowhere
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Light sensitivity, or other sudden vision problems
• Difficulty speaking
• A stiff neck
• Paralysis or stiffness on one side of the body
• Seizures
• Unconsciousness

When faced with these signs, doctors must act quickly. However, some symptoms, like nausea or a stiff neck, could be mistaken for other illnesses. Delays could result from this, with grave or even fatal repercussions. 

While nobody should have to experience additional harm because their subarachnoid haemorrhage was misdiagnosed, or because their brain aneurysm was misdiagnosed which led to the development of a subarachnoid haemorrhage, this is not always an example of medical negligence.

When is a subarachnoid haemorrhage considered negligent?

Unfortunately, there are some cases where mistakes during a patient’s treatment are unavoidable. 

For example, many of the primary symptoms of a subarachnoid haemorrhage are commonly found to be caused by plenty of other health conditions, such as nausea, which is a symptom of countless ailments. Other factors, or even other (unrelated) underlying health conditions can mean that a patient shows additional symptoms that further lead doctors towards making a misdiagnosis.

Similar mistakes can also happen during the treatment process. 

But these instances are not always negligent. If you did not receive the correct diagnosis, or there were problems with your treatment, that caused you to experience additional harm because your healthcare professionals did not act appropriately, then this would be an example of negligence and you could be entitled to compensation. 

Alternatively, if your doctor made an honest mistake that other doctors would also have made if given the same information, then this may not be considered negligent.

The key here is in determining whether your doctors:

• Followed the correct procedures
• Observed and took all of your symptoms into account 
• Thoroughly examined your patient history to make informed decisions about your treatment

Failure to do the above would be considered negligent. 

Some common examples of this include:

• problems following errors made during surgery
• brain damage brought on by improper medication administration.
• delays in the detection and treatment of a brain aneurysm

And more.

If you have experienced a subarachnoid haemorrhage, then it is very likely that you will need lifelong additional support. 

Beyond the emotional and physical suffering you have experienced, your compensation claim should also take into account any rehabilitation support you will need, including:

• Receiving speech treatment to enhance communication and language abilities
• Relearning how to carry out rote actions and tasks
• Appointing carers to provide assistance with daily tasks
• modifying your property to make it more accessible, including buying specialised equipment
• undergoing therapy to teach the body new motions, such walking or holding objects

All of this should be reflected in your claim. 

If you, or someone close to you, have experienced harm that might have been avoidable if the healthcare professionals responsible for your treatment had acted appropriately, then you could be entitled to compensation.

To find out for sure, including what your next steps should be, get in touch with our experts today.

My brain aneurysm was misdiagnosed. Do I have a claim?

As stated above, not all errors made during treatment or diagnosis are signs of negligent care. However, if your doctor missed obvious signs of a brain aneurysm, or failed to order further testing altogether in spite of concerning symptoms, then you could be entitled to compensation; providing that you can show you have experienced additional, unnecessary harm as a result of this.

Failure to correctly recognise symptoms of a brain aneurysm and prescribe (and perform) the appropriate treatment in a timely manner is one of the most common forms of subarachnoid haemorrhage negligence, as this can lead to the patient experiencing a haemorrhage that could have been avoided. 

After all, even people who recover from a subarachnoid haemorrhage may still be at risk for developing further (and severe) medical conditions.

Rebleeding is one of the main worries since the isolated brain aneurysm could rupture once more, posing the significant risk of death or disability. The risk is greatest in the initial days following a subarachnoid haemorrhage. The danger of rebleeding must be minimised by doing aneurysm repairs as soon as possible. 

Other potential issues include:

• Brain damage caused by excess fluid around the brain or dangerously low blood supply to the brain.
• Memory and attention issues, as well as trouble planning even easy tasks.
• Mood swings
• Mood disorders such as anxiety and depression
• Feelings of despair and isolation
• Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which causes feelings of loneliness, irritation, and guilt as the victim repeatedly has flashbacks and nightmares of the haemorrhage.

Last but certainly not least, as much as 5% of all subarachnoid haemorrhage survivors will go on to receive an epilepsy diagnosis.

If you have experienced any of the above as a direct result of your doctor failing to properly monitor your symptoms or perform treatment, then you could have experienced medical negligence and may be entitled to compensation. If this is the case, then there are steps you can take to maximise your chances of making a successful claim.

What are my next steps?

Healthcare workers have a moral and legal obligation to provide you with the same high standard of care as they would any other patient.

Everyone should have confidence that their doctor and medical staff will take good care of them. It is considered negligent when patients suffer bodily, financial, or psychological harm as a result of a healthcare professional's failure to give them the appropriate level of care.

Making a claim for compensation can be challenging. But if you have the right attorney on your side, you can go into the process with a thorough understanding of exactly what to do next.

For information on whether you might be entitled to compensation, how much you might be entitled to, and what to expect next, get in touch with our experts today.

Contact Us

Established in Manchester in 1997, we are a leading specialist personal injury, accident, and medical negligence law firm acting for claimants who are victims of clinical negligence.

Our Medical Negligence Lawyers, act regularly for clients across Greater Manchester including Ashton, Bury, Bolton, Radcliffe, Prestwich, Middleton, Failsworth, Rochdale, Oldham, and Whitefield.

The team of Brain Injury Lawyers at Sheldon Davidson Solicitors can support your needs wherever you live in Wales, England & Northern Ireland.

We have helped to secure substantial compensation packages for subarachnoid haemorrhage negligence cases. We understand that you’ll have many questions about your claim, so we offer a free initial consultation so you can start to get the answers you need.

You’ll be able to speak directly to a solicitor about your subarachnoid haemorrhage negligence compensation claim today using the phone number at the top of this page.

We specialise in no win no fee serious injury claims, which means if you don't win, you won't have to pay.

Call us for free now using the number at the top of the page or complete the online contact form and a member of our team will get back to you.

Sheldon Davidson Solicitors are a Lexcel accredited medical negligence and personal injury law firm. The Lexcel standard is only awarded by the Law Society to firms who meet the highest standards of practice management and customer service.

With Sheldon Davidson Solicitors in Whitefield, Manchester you can be confident that your claim is in safe hands.