Professional Negligence Claims Against Personal Injury Lawyers

If you have previously entrusted another solicitor with a personal injury, medical negligence or industrial disease claim and feel you were badly advised or inadequately compensated, Sheldon Davidson Solicitors may be able to help you bring a claim against them for professional negligence.

Many clients believe that there is little they can do to change things once their case has been settled, but if you are not satisfied then we can help you take the next step towards securing the correct outcome for your claim.

Such action would be taken against your previous solicitor rather than the person responsible for your original injury, and would be separate from the initial claim.

What is professional negligence?

Professional negligence can happen in all cases where a professional, who may operate under the principle of Duty of Care, fails to perform their duties to an acceptable level of standard. You may be entitled to a compensation claim whenever a breach of the Duty of Care by a professional has caused you harm, may this be financial, psychological or physical.

Professional negligence can usually be defined and argued within the guidelines provided by the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982. This Act basically states that whenever a professional is supplying services or professional advice, they must do so with a reasonable level of care. The terms of the standard of care are therefore implied in all contracts, regardless of specific clauses within it.

This can apply to a range of circumstances, and if you believe a professional, such as a solicitor, has mishandled their duties towards you, you may be entitled to a claim.

Contact our expert team of professional negligence lawyers today to discuss your situation and find out whether you can pursue a Professional Negligence Claim Against a Personal Injury Solicitor.

Who can commit professional negligence?

Any professional who has a reasonable Duty of Care to an individual may commit professional negligence, where their supply of goods or services falls below a reasonable standard.

Two common examples are:

• Solicitors, Barristers and other legal professionals

Legal proceedings can be very complex, so professionals in the legal field need to be trusted to a very high level. Negligence committed by solicitors and other legal professionals can have a huge impact on an individual’s financial and mental health.

This can occur by missing deadlines, providing incorrect legal advice, neglecting or improperly investigating evidence, and general procedural errors.

• Doctors and Medical Professionals

As experts in Medical Negligence Claims, our specialist solicitors have handled many cases of negligence committed by medical professionals. There are a variety of accidents which may constitute negligence, including delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis, surgical errors, birth injuries or anaesthesia errors.

Medical errors can have life-changing or even fatal impacts on an individual, so seeking expert legal advice for your claim is imperative.

At SDS, we have handled many cases of Medical Negligence Claims, and Professional Negligence Claims related to failed, under-settled or improperly handled medical negligence claims. Contact us today for a confidential chat about your claim.

How can a Personal Injury Solicitor commit Professional Negligence?

As a claimant, you should always be able to completely trust the solicitor handling your case. Unfortunately, things can sometimes go wrong, and you may find yourself dissatisfied with the outcome of your claim.

Some examples of how your solicitor may have acted negligently while handling your case are:

• Improper Handling

As legal cases can be very complex, being updated about your claim is a priority. Improper Handling is most commonly found in the cases where the communication between you and your solicitor becomes insufficient, or breaks down entirely.

• Failed Claims

There are many reasons for which a claim may fail, but if you believe this has happened because of an error on your solicitor’s part - such as lack of evidence, procedural errors or missed deadlines, you may be entitled to a compensation claim.

• Turned Down Claims

Your claim may be turned down in many circumstances, but if this happened because of negligent behaviour by your solicitor, you may have a professional negligence claim.

• Under-settled Claims

Many unforeseeable events can affect your final compensation amounts. However, you may have been led to believe a greater sum would be awarded to you than what you actually obtained. If your claim was under-settled, it’s possible this is due to your solicitor’s negligent behaviour.

• Unexpected Deductions

It is common for solicitors and law professionals to take deductions from your compensation sum, but all pricing and deductions involved in your claim should be transparent and agreed in advance. You may be entitled to compensation if your solicitor’s deductions were unexpected or unexplained.

How Sheldon Davidson Solicitors can help

As specialists in personal injury and clinical negligence compensation claims ourselves, our professional negligence solicitors will know straight away if something was not right with the way your case was handled previously, and we will be able to show how and why your first solicitor was incorrect to conduct your claim in the way that they did.

We will request all the documents from your previous solicitor on your behalf, meaning you never have to deal with them again. If we feel you were indeed poorly advised and could be eligible for further compensation, we can then act on your behalf going forward to ensure you receive the award you were entitled to, using the details of your initial claim to re-evaluate your financial entitlement.

Contact Sheldon Davidson Solicitors today for more information on how our professional negligence solicitors can help with your claim, or help with other cases such as traffic accident compensation or industrial disease claims