Poor medical care can sadly not only result in injury, but also the death of a patient. For those matters the statutory bereavement award, a set figure of compensation paid to the deceased’s family, has been increased. Having stood at £12,980 for several years, the sum will now be £15,120, for cases where the death occurred on or after 1 May 2020.
There has also been a slight change to the range of relatives entitled to claim this. As well as the parents - if the deceased was under 18 - and the spouse or civil partner, the sum can now also be claimed by cohabitees, if they had lived with the deceased for at least two years prior to the death. The exclusion of cohabitees had been found to be incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.
We still believe that even this increased figure under-compensates those who have lost a loved one through inadequate medical care. However in certain circumstances additional sums can also be claimed. These include funeral expenses, the financial losses of those who had been dependent on the deceased, and compensation for the loss of what he or she had previously provided to the household - such as gardening, DIY and housework.
We handle a large number of these claims each year, and with our experience and specialist knowledge we can advise on how best to fight for these losses if your loved one dies as a consequence of medical negligence.
For further advice and guidance on the statutory bereavement awards and medical negligence claims contact our dedicated team or view their latest video updates: The Basics of a Clinical Negligence Claim & Inquests
