Diabetes compensation claims

Diabetes medical negligence claims

• Mistakes in diagnosing or treating diabetes can result in wide ranging complications.
• We can help you to secure compensation for negligent care or misdiagnosis related to diabetes.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects how your body processes blood sugar (glucose). It occurs when your body either doesn’t produce enough insulin or can’t use insulin effectively, leading to high blood sugar levels. Over time, high blood sugar can cause serious health problems such as heart disease, nerve damage, and kidney damage.

What is a diabetes negligence claim?

A diabetes negligence claim is a legal action taken against a healthcare provider or facility for failing to provide adequate care to a patient with diabetes, resulting in harm or injury. This can include misdiagnosis, improper treatment, medication errors, or failure to monitor blood sugar levels.

What are the different types of diabetes?

There are three main types of diabetes known as Type 1, Type 2 and gestational diabetes:

• Type 1 is the least common type and is unpreventable. It occurs when the body is unable to produce insulin and has to be controlled with daily doses of insulin.
• Type 2 is the more common condition and develops when the body can make some insulin but not enough. It is also when the insulin that is produced does not work properly.
• Gestational diabetes occurs in pregnant women and is high blood sugar levels during pregnancy. This normally clears up after the pregnancy.

What are the symptoms of diabetes?

There are a number of recognised symptoms of diabetes which include increased urinations, increased thirst and unexplained weight loss. Other symptoms can include fatigue, blurred vision, increased hunger and sores that do not heal. Early in the disease type 2 diabetes may present with no symptoms. Blood tests are used to diagnose diabetes. Laboratory analysis of blood is needed to ensure tests are accurate. Glucose measuring devices used in a healthcare provider’s office such as finger stick devices are not accurate enough for diagnosis but may be used as a quick indicator of high blood glucose.

Testing enables healthcare providers to diagnose and treat diabetes before complications occur and to find and treat pre-diabetes which can delay or prevent type 2 diabetes from developing. Unfortunately, in some cases there may be a delay in diagnosis by a medical practitioner which was avoidable and may connote medical negligence.

What complications can occur due to diabetes?

The effects for diabetes can have both short-term and long-term complications. The long-term complications are due to the high blood glucose levels damaging the blood vessels and causing chronic health conditions which include:

• Cardiovascular disease (heart disease, stroke)
• Eye disease – diabetic retinopathy, a condition that can lead to blindness if not treated
• Kidney disease
• Amputations – foot damage, in particular nerve damage and poor blood flow increases the risk of foot complications, and sores and cuts can become infected leading to the risk of toe, foot and even leg amputation
• Premature death.

Given the complications, it is vital to ensure that blood glucose levels are kept to as near normal as possible and importantly that appropriate education, monitoring and action is undertaken to prevent complications occurring or to treat complications early.