What is encephalitis?

Encephalitis is a rare but serious condition caused by a viral infection which inflames the brain. It can also occur when the immune system attacks the brain. It’s life-threatening and can affect anyone at any age.

The common symptoms of encephalitis can be similar to those of a cold or flu in the early stages. More serious symptoms develop when the brain has been affected. They include a change in personality or behaviour, weakness or loss of movement, drowsiness, loss of feeling and confusion, amongst others.

Undiagnosed encephalitis can lead to catastrophic, life-changing brain damage, blindness, loss of hearing, seizures, and memory loss. It has a significant impact on the person affected and the lives of their families.

What is the treatment for encephalitis?

It’s important that encephalitis symptoms are identified early on so that the condition can be correctly diagnosed. This is because the treatment heavily depends on the underlying cause of the brain inflammation. Once the tests have been done, treatment may involve antibiotics, antivirals, steroids, plasma exchange or even surgery.

If you’ve had a delayed encephalitis diagnosis, our legal experts are committed to seeking the maximum compensation to help with your treatment and future wellbeing. We can also connect you with medical professionals who can support you in your rehabilitation.

Can you make an encephalitis claim?

An early encephalitis diagnosis and treatment is crucial, and a delay in the diagnosis or a misdiagnosis can be classed as negligence. It could lead to a delay in treatment which could worsen the condition. It could even lead to a tragic death. You may also have a claim if clinicians fail to carry out the correct diagnostic tests, fail to interpret test results correctly, fail to treat encephalitis as a matter of urgency, or fail to provide the correct type of treatment.

It’s important to instruct a legal professional who is highly experienced in medical negligence claims as they need to have a full understanding of both legal and medical issues to ensure you get the best possible financial support, treatment and rehabilitation.

Our specialist team has many years’ experience in representing those with encephalitis in cases of medical negligence and has been involved in some of the most high profile and groundbreaking medical negligence cases in recent years. To speak to one of our experts, simply call 0330 041 5869 or contact us online.

How do you make an encephalitis claim?

Simply contact our medical negligence specialists and they will talk you through the legal process.

Once we confirm you can make a claim, we’ll get to work gathering as much evidence as possible to support your claim and will then seek an admission of fault from those at blame so we can request interim payments and instruct a case manager as soon as possible to put a treatment and rehabilitation plan in place.

As experts in these cases, we’ll do everything possible to make the process as simple as possible, meaning whilst we’re working on bringing your claim to a successful conclusion, you can concentrate on your recovery.

Simply contact our experts today

How long will an encephalitis claim take?

Every case is different, so it’s impossible to say exactly how long an encephalitis compensation claim will take without first reviewing your case. It depends on several things such as the severity of your injuries and whether the other party accepts liability or not.

We receive excellent feedback from clients about the efficiency with which we handle our cases. Our expert medical negligence solicitors will work to get the best possible outcome for your case and ensure your claim is dealt with as quickly as possible.

How much does it cost to make a claim for encephalitis?

We understand that the cost of making a claim for compensation can be a worry, especially given that in most cases of medical negligence, the injured person has been unable to work so may be stretched financially.

At Slater and Gordon, we operate on a No Win No Fee basis for encephalitis claims. This means you can pursue your claim without any financial risk because if you lose your case, you won’t have to pay any legal fees.

How much can you claim for an encephalitis misdiagnosis?

The final amount of compensation is based on the severity of your condition and the effect it’s had on your life, so it’s impossible to say without first reviewing your case. In addition to the pain, suffering and impact on your live, you can also make a claim for any financial losses you’ve had or are likely to have in the future, such as any lost earnings, long-term care, rehabilitation and adaptations to your home to help you with recovery and independent living.

Our solicitors will ensure you get the absolute maximum compensation you deserve which includes the cost of everything necessary to provide you with the best possible quality of life in the future.

Make a claim today

Life after encephalitis - treatment and aftercare

Rehabilitation is an important part of recovery after the diagnosis of encephalitis, which is why we seek early interim payments for our clients. Interim payments can help with taking care of your immediate needs, such as financial support, treatment and rehabilitation, specialist nursing, adapted vehicles or house adaptations to make your life easier.

Given our years of experience, we know that ensuring those interim payments are in place as soon as possible maximises the chance of recovery and future independence.

We’re committed to ensuring that our clients get the aftercare and support they need, way beyond their case. Slater and Gordon has teams of dedicated specialists across a vast range of consumer law who will be there for you throughout your life, for all your legal needs.

In addition, we work with a number of fantastic charities who provide a range of practice support and advice to our clients, which is invaluable.

Why choose Slater and Gordon?

We have many years’ experience securing compensation for medical negligence claims and will handle your encephalitis negligence case with sensitivity and care.

As well as legal experts in the field of medical negligence, we have a team of trained nurses and midwives who work with our legal experts to provide the best possible service to our clients. We offer home and hospital visits and provide immediate representation and rehabilitation support.

Our medical negligence team is one of the best in the country and are highly ranked in independent legal guides such as Chambers and Partners and Legal 500. We also have solicitors on our team who are accredited by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) and Action Against Medical Accidents (AvMA), and have won awards for their work on high profile cases such as Ian Paterson’s malpractice.

We also work closely with a range of dedicated charities throughout England, Scotland and Wales that can offer you with a wide range ofpractical advice and support as you work on getting your life back on track. As one of the largest consumer law firms in the UK, we’re able to offer an end-to-end service for all your legal needs and independent financial planners to help protect your compensation and provide welfare benefits advice.

Contact us online or call us on 0330 041 5869 for a free, no obligation consultation so we can advise you on whether or not you have a claim.

Can I change my solicitors to Slater and Gordon?

If you or a family member have been seriously impacted by medical negligence, and you feel that you're not getting the specialist legal advice you need from your current solicitor, we'll be happy to discuss switching your case to Slater and Gordon. Simply call our experts on 0330 041 5869 or contact us online.