This guide examines when you could make a medical negligence claim for wrongly prescribed quinine. If you are prescribed the wrong medication, it can have serious consequences for your health. In cases where the wrong medication was given because a medical professional failed to provide the correct standard of care, and you suffered avoidable harm, this constitutes medical negligence.
We will briefly look at what Quinine is prescribed for, along with the consequences of the drug being prescribed incorrectly, before examining the medical professional’s duty of care and how failures to adhere to this duty can result in patients experiencing avoidable harm through medication errors.
You will also find information on how medical negligence compensation is calculated and what evidence you could collect in support of your claim.
Towards the end of this guide, you will see a short explanation of the type of No Win No Fee contract our panel of medical negligence solicitors can offer, along with the benefits you can experience when starting a claim under such a contract.
For answers to your questions, further guidance on medical negligence claims, or a no-obligation, zero-cost assessment of your eligibility to begin a claim, speak to our team today. You can talk to our advisors using the following:
- Phone on 0800 408 7827.
- Complete our online “Contact Us” form using this link.
- Click the live chat bubble for a fast response to your queries.
Choose A Section
- When Could You Claim For Wrongly Prescribed Quinine?
- How Could You Be Wrongly Prescribed Quinine?
- What Compensation Could You Receive From Being Incorrectly Given Quinine Medication?
- Potential Evidence In A Quinine Medication Error Claim
- How Can You Make A Claim For Medical Negligence On A No Win No Fee Basis?
- Read More About Claims Related To Wrongly Prescribed Quinine
When Could You Claim For Wrongly Prescribed Quinine?
Quinine can be prescribed to treat a number of different conditions, including leg cramps and malaria. Being wrongly prescribed quinine could potentially cause:
- Impaired hearing and tinnitus.
- Abdominal pains.
- Blurred vision.
A medical professional owes a duty of care to their patients in that they must provide them with the correct standard of care. This duty applies to both public and private healthcare providers. Failing to uphold this duty when providing care to patients can lead to those patients experiencing avoidable harm.
The eligibility criteria to make a medical negligence claim are as follows:
- You were owed a duty of care by a medical professional.
- That medical professional breached their duty while providing treatment to you.
- You experienced avoidable harm because of this breach.
“Avoidable harm” refers to harm that would not have occurred had the medical professional provided the correct standard of care during treatment.
We will examine in more detail how prescription errors can occur in the next section. To ask any questions regarding the eligibility criteria or to get your particular circumstances assessed, speak to our advisors by calling the number above.
How Could You Be Wrongly Prescribed Quinine?
Below we have highlighted a few of the ways you could be wrongly prescribed quinine and experience avoidable harm:
- A hospital mixed up your test results with another patient’s. This resulted in you receiving their quinine prescription instead of them.
- Your GP failed to read your medical records correctly and therefore missed your severe quinine allergy. You experienced an allergic reaction after being prescribed quinine resulting in organ damage.
- A dispensing error by a pharmacy meant you were given quinine instead of another medication. You suffered severe and prolonged abdominal pain because of this.
This list is intended to give some insight into how a prescription error could take place. However, it is important to be aware that not all instances of being wrongly prescribed quinine will result in you having valid grounds to seek medical negligence compensation. Speak to our team for further guidance today.
What Compensation Could You Receive From Being Incorrectly Given Quinine Medication?
There are two heads of loss that can make up a compensation award following a successful medical negligence claim for wrongly prescribed quinine. These are called general and special damages. The pain and suffering caused by medical negligence is compensated under general damages.
The Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) is a document published by the Judicial College that details various different types of harm alongside guideline award brackets for each. Reference can be made to these brackets in conjunction with your medical evidence to assist in the valuing of general damages.
Compensation Table
This table contains a selection of JCG figures, with the exception of the first entry which is not in the JCG. Please be advised that this table has been included to act as guidance only.
Type of Harm Severity Guideline Bracket Amount Notes
Multiple Very Severe Injuries and Illnesses with Monetary Losses Very Severe Up to and above £1,000,000 Compensation for the physical and psychological impacts of very severe multiple illnesses or injuries and financial losses, such as lost income and care costs.
Brain Damage Very Severe (a) £282,010 to £403,990 Full-time nursing care is required.
Injuries Affecting Sight Total Blindness (b) In the region of £268,720 Complete loss of sight in both eyes.
Complete Loss of Sight in One Eye (e) £49,270 to £54,830 The upper end of this bracket is appropriate in cases where there is scarring of the eye region that is not serious enough to merit separate award.
Deafness/Tinnitus Total Deafness (b) £90,750 to £109,650 The level of award in this bracket will depend on the presence of tinnitus and any speech deficit.
Total Loss of Hearing in One Ear (c) £31,310 to £45,540 A complete loss of hearing in one ear. Associated problems such as dizziness, tinnitus or headache will merit a higher award.
Partial Hearing Loss and/or Tinnitus (d)(ii) £14,900 to £29,710 Moderate to severe tinnitus.
Bladder Serious Impairment of Control (c) £63,980 to £79,930 Some pain and incontinence will be present.
Kidney Total Loss of Function (b) Up to £63,980 Cases involving a significant risk of urinary tract infection or other loss of natural function, carrying substantial future medical expenses.
Digestive System Damage from Non-traumatic Injury (b) (i) £38,430 to £52,500 Severe toxicosis resulting in vomiting, diarrhoea, fever and acute pain necessitating hospital admission with continuing incontinence and IBS.
Special Damages
Financial losses associated with medical negligence can be reimbursed under special damages. We have created a list of possible costs you could claim back here:
- Lost income.
- Medical expenses.
- Costs for care.
- Home adaptation costs.
- Transport costs, such as taxis to and from medical appointments.
In order for your financial losses to be reimbursed, you will need to provide supporting evidence. Make sure you have copies of your payslips, travel tickets, invoices for care, or any other documentation that demonstrates you incurred a financial loss.
Potential Evidence In A Quinine Medication Error Claim
Making a medical negligence claim for wrongly prescribed quinine will require the submission of evidence. Evidence is used to demonstrate the fault of the medical professional, as well as show the physical and psychological impact their negligent action had on you.
Some examples of evidence that could be used to prove a medication error are:
- The contact information of any potential witnesses, such as someone who attended appointments with you.
- Your prescription letter or the labelled package showing what drug was prescribed and what dosage.
- Medical records showing who provided your treatment. You can also submit the records from any follow-up treatment to demonstrate the avoidable harm that was caused.
The Bolam Test
This is where a group of medical professionals with relevant training review the care you received and decide if that care met the correct standard. The use of the Bolam Test is decided case-by-case, and the findings can be used as part of your body of evidence.
Following an assessment of your specific circumstances, you could get the support of a medical negligence specialist from our panel of solicitors to collect supporting evidence for your claim.
Talk to our team today via the contact details given below for a free consultation on your eligibility to claim.
How Can You Make A Claim For Medical Negligence On A No Win No Fee Basis?
Contact our team today for a free consultation on your eligibility to begin a claim. Our team can address any queries, explain the claims process, and connect with an expert solicitor from our panel if you have a valid claim.
Solicitors from our panel can offer their services under what’s called a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). A CFA is a type of No Win No Fee contract that means, in most cases, you will not pay fees upfront or during the claims process for the solicitor’s services.
You will likewise not be paying a fee for these services following an unsuccessful claim. However, if your claim does succeed, the solicitor will take a percentage of your awarded compensation as their success fee. Because success fee percentages are capped by law, the majority of your compensation is yours to keep.
For answers to your questions, further guidance on the medical negligence claims process, or a no-obligation, zero-cost assessment of your eligibility to begin a claim, speak to our team today. You can talk to our advisors using the following:
- Phone on 0800 408 7827.
- Complete our online “Contact Us” form using this link.
- Click the live chat bubble for a fast response to your queries.
Read More About Claims Related To Wrongly Prescribed Quinine
Read more of our medical negligence claims guides here:
- Read our guide on making a No Win No Fee hospital negligence claim.
- Find out more about how to report medication errors.
- Learn more about the main causes of medication errors here.
External resources:
- The British Medical Journal has published this analysis of the clinical and economic burden of medication errors.
- Read the NHS Directive on improving medication error incident reporting using this link.
- The General Medical Council has published this report into the causes of prescribing errors.
Thank you for reading this guide on making a medical negligence claim for wrongly prescribed quinine. Please contact our team with questions or to get an assessment of your eligibility to claim.