Last Updated On 6th February 2025. This is our guide on prescription errors, and how they could lead to a medical negligence claim being made. This article will be covering topics such as some possible causes of prescription errors, and examples of what the impact on your health could be. To be eligible to make a medical negligence claim for prescription errors it must be proven that negligence occurred either during the prescribing of the medication, dispensing or administration of it.

We understand that the process of making a claim like this can seem daunting, but we are here to answer any questions you may have. Speaking to us directly is the best way that we can help you. We could connect you with an expert medical negligence solicitor if we think you could be owed compensation.

Read on for more information. Below, you’ll also find how you can get in touch with us to find out if you may have a valid claim.

• Call us on 0800 073 8804
• Send us a message about your claim online
• Use the chat window in the corner

Select A Section

1. What Are Prescription Errors?
2. What Effect Could A Prescription Error Have?
3. Types Of Prescription Errors
4. How Could We Help With Prescription Error Claims?
5. How Much Could I Claim For A Prescription Medication Error?
6. Get In Touch To Make A No Win No Fee Prescription Error Claims

What Are Prescription Errors?

Prescription errors can cover a variety of circumstances. The term is used to describe any mistake made by someone working in a medical setting that affects the prescription medication intended for a particular patient. Therefore, there is no specific definition of the term.

Errors of this kind can happen in a variety of locations such as a GP surgery, dentist’s surgery, or even a hospital setting. Generally, only doctors and dentists can issue a prescription or those trained in prescribing. Although, some other healthcare professionals (such as specialist nurses) can do this too. However, errors cannot only occur when medication is being prescribed they can occur indifferent ways too.

Errors can happen at different stages such as when medication is being prescribed, when it is being dispensed or when being administrated by a medical professional.

How Common Are Prescription Errors?

According to NHS statistics, the error rate for prescription errors in NHS hospitals is indicated at 7%. In general practice, this falls to 5%. You can see how these figures line up against each other in the graph below.

What Effect Could A Prescription Error Have?

If a patient were to receive the wrong medication, there could be an adverse reaction. This is especially true if you have an allergic reaction to the errant medication that you are given. Reactions can be of varying severity. Some may be minor, but others may be quite severe or even fatal.

Alternatively, the condition that you are suffering from could worsen due to not receiving the correct medication. It’s also possible that the prescription is delivered to the wrong patient. This may not only affect the person who doesn’t receive the medication, but also the individual who receives the wrong medication.

Types Of Prescription Errors

If you have suffered from a prescription error, you may be eligible to claim prescription error compensation, regardless of the error type.

There are many forms of prescription errors, such as:

• Receiving the wrong medication
• Receiving another patient’s medication
• Receiving an incorrect dosage – this may be an under-dosage or over-dosage

You may be eligible to make a claim for medical negligence for harm caused by a prescription error if:

• You were owed a duty of care by the medical professional who gave you the incorrect prescription
• They acted negligently by giving you the incorrect prescription, thereby breaching their duty of care
• This resulted in you suffering from avoidable harm

The General Medical Council has provided guidelines for good medical practice, some of which aim to prevent prescription errors so that patients do not suffer from avoidable and unnecessary harm.

Therefore, if a medical professional has given you an incorrect prescription, which resulted in you suffering from harm that you wouldn’t have sustained otherwise, you may be entitled to compensation.

Get in touch with our helpful advisors today to start your claim or to learn more about prescription error claims.

How Could We Help With Prescription Error Claims?

There are a few different things you’ll need to address if you wish to make a claim. We can advise you on them all. This section focuses on some of the key steps you’ll need to take when making claims for prescription errors.

• Seek medical advice – your health should take priority. It’s advised that you seek treatment as soon as possible if your health has been affected.
• Inform relevant parties – senior staff such as owners and managers of the facility where the incident took place could be notified of the error. This way, it can be investigated in an effort to reduce the chances of it happening again.
• Gathering evidence – you can do this by acquiring things like your medical records, and taking photographs of any physical side effects of being given incorrect medication.
• Seek legal advice – some steps may need additional information. Having an experienced solicitor by your side can help with this. Get in touch with us today and we may be able to connect you with our medical negligence solicitor .

Get in touch with our advisors today for more information. We’re here and ready to help you.

How Much Could I Claim For A Prescription Medication Error?

This section should give you a better understanding of how your compensation for injuries/illnesses sustained due to prescription errors will be calculated. The amount that’s calculated by professionals to account for the impact on your health is known as general damages. A publication called the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) is used to assist them in this process.

The value of each injury can vary depending on a number of factors. For example, more severe injuries tend to be worth more in compensation than minor ones. Recovery time is another thing that can affect how much a claim is worth.

We’ve included some example entries from the JCG below. However, this is not a complete list. The actual publication is quite extensive. So, don’t be discouraged if you don’t see your injury listed below. Please note that the figure in the top row is not from the JCG. Furthermore, the table is only provided as a guide.

There can also be other amounts that can be awarded to you as part of your claim. They’re known as special damages. If you have spent or lost out on money as a result of your injuries, then you could be entitled to have them reimbursed to you. You will need to have proof of these expenditures and losses. For example, payslips and receipts are good forms of evidence.

Some losses that can be reimbursed include loss of earnings, damage to property or medical/travel expenses.

Get in touch for more information on how special damages can be calculated.

Get In Touch To Make A No Win No Fee Prescription Error Claims

Some people may be concerned about their ability to afford the services of a solicitor. However, all of our solicitors work on a No Win No Fee basis. So, how does an agreement like this work?

When working with a No Win No Fee solicitor, you are only required to pay them if you are successful in your claim. Their payment is then taken from your settlement. The percentage that they take is capped by law.

If you do not succeed in being awarded compensation, then you aren’t required to pay them anything. There are no upfront costs or hidden fees to consider either.

It is permitted to make a claim without legal representation. However, when making a claim without a solicitor you are expected to complete all the work of your case. The guidance and advice that a lawyer can give you throughout the process may also help you understand certain aspects of a claim more thoroughly.

Get in touch with us today and we can let you know whether or not you could be eligible to make a No Win No Fee claim.

• Call us on 0800 073 8804
• Send us a message about your claim online
• Use the chat window in the corner

Quick Links

We’ve included some links below that’ll take you to additional information on this topic.

1. Our guide on being given the wrong medication in healthcare.
2. An article on hospital negligence claims.
3. Another of our guides on medical/clinical negligence claims.
4. Read about how a litigation friend could claim on your behalf.
5. Grief, bereavement and loss – an NHS guide.
6. An NHS medication error report.

Thank you for reading our guide on prescription error claims. Please get in touch with any further questions about medical negligence compensation. 

Guide By Bibby

Edited By Melissa.

Welcome to our guide on claiming for prescription errors in hospitals. All staff in a hospital setting have a duty of care to the patients there. This is not just doctors, nurses, and surgeons. Certain administrative staff and pharmacists also share this responsibility to keep patients safe. If a mistake is made with their prescription then there could be a negative impact on their health.

A guide to prescription errors in hospitals claims

This article will explore this topic and inform you on how to go about claiming compensation if you’ve been affected by prescribing errors in a hospital. The subject of time limits and how much you could be owed will also be addressed.

Speaking with us directly is the best way to get the advice you require. Our advisors are standing by and ready to help. Get in touch with us today if you have any questions about prescription errors in hospitals or other cases of medical negligence. Read on for more information.

• Call us on 0800 073 8804
• Talk to us about your claim online
• Use the pop-up chat window 

Select A Section

1. What Is A Hospital Prescription Error?
2. Types Of Prescription Errors In Hospitals You Could Claim For
3. How Do I Sue For Prescription Errors In Hospitals?
4. How Long After A Prescription Error Could I Claim?
5. What Is The Average Settlement For Prescription Errors In Hospitals?
6. Why Claim With A No Win No Fee Solicitor?

What Is A Hospital Prescription Error?

Many hospital patients whether staying as an inpatient or having treatment as an outpatient may require medication being prescribed. If there is an error in the prescribing, dispensing or administration of medication this could cause the patient avoidable harm. 

Medical professional including pharmacists all owe a duty of care to the patients they agree to treat. If professional standards are deviated from this could cause a patient to experience harm they may not have otherwise gone through had the standard of care been at the correct level. Poor standard of care leading to harm that was preventable could be classed as medical negligence.

Are Prescription Errors In Hospitals Clinical Negligence?

Medical negligence (which is also known as clinical negligence), is when a medical professional provides inadequate care to a patient. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that any negative impact on your health in a hospital automatically constitutes a medical negligence claim.

For example, treatments can be discussed with you, along with the risks involved. If you opt for this treatment and the risks come to fruition, then the doctor can be said to have fulfilled their duty of care to you by warning you on the possibilities.

However, to hold a valid medical negligence claim for prescription errors you must be able to show how the medic was negligent. What actions or inactions were negligent that caused you harm. To have you case reviewed for free call our medical negligence claims team today. 

Types Of Prescription Errors In Hospitals You Could Claim For

As mentioned above, there are multiple things that could be counted as a prescription error. Some examples include:

• Being given medication at the wrong time
• The wrong dosage being administered (either too high or too low)
• When medication is given to the wrong patient
• Administration errors (incorrect labelling, for example)
• Necessary medication not being prescribed at all (omission)

This is not an exhaustive list, just some of the more common instances. If negligence caused any of the above to take place call our team to see if you have a valid medical negligence claim. Get in touch today if you’re unsure as to whether what you encountered was a hospital prescription error. 

Could I Sue For Fatal Hospital Negligence?

Fatal medical negligence in a hospital is when a medical professional acts in such a negligent way it leads to a patient’s death. Misdiagnosis or a completely missed diagnosis could be caused by the doctor being negligent meaning that the a patient may suffer fatally because the doctor failed to diagnose them correctly. 

For example, something that started out as a treatable illness was missed because the doctor failed to order the correct tests when it was clear what was needed. Due to the lack of treatment the patients condition deteriorated leading to premature death. Therefore, a loved one could potentially make a claim on the behalf of the deceased. 

How Do I Sue For Prescription Errors In Hospitals?

You’ll also need to gather evidence to back up your claim. Medical records are a good example of this. They can show what condition you were being treated for, what conditions arose from the medical negligence and how you will be impacted in the future. 

Also collecting other evidence can help such as photographs of any visible injuries, images of any medication, a diary of the effects the prescribing errors had on you. Witness details so that they could be called upon to give a statement at a later date.

Although a solicitor is not minatory medical negligence can be complex case to prove. We would always advise having a specialist help you so that the claim process can be navigated with ease.

Call our claims team today. Through a free consultation they can tell you if your case for prescription errors is valid and whether you case has a chance of succeeding. If you want to begin the medical negligence claim process they can connect you with one of our medical negligence specialists. 

How Long After A Prescription Error Could I Claim?

As stated in the Limitation Act 1980, you generally have 3 years to start a claim of this nature. The time limit can either begin from the date of the incident or the date that you become aware of your symptoms or that your condition was caused by medical negligence. The latter is known as the date of knowledge.

However, children cannot make a claim themselves. Therefore, their time limit is frozen until their 18th birthday. Until this date, a claim can only be made on their behalf by a legally-appointed adult known as a litigation friend. 

If the claim involves someone with a reduced mental capacity, their time limit is also suspended. It will only begin if and when their mental capacity reaches a point where they are deemed capable to make a claim themselves. Until then, as with child cases, a litigation friend may claim on their behalf. 

How Long Could It Take To Sue A Hospital?

Each claim is unique. Because of this, there is no time frame that would be relevant to each and every medical negligence claim. Some claims can take a relatively short amount of time to reach a conclusion. Some can last much longer.

Get in touch for more information.

What Is The Average Settlement For Prescription Errors In Hospitals?

Medical negligence compensation can be broken down into two main figures. The first is known as general damages. It is awarded to the claimant to account for their injuries; both physical and mental. 

We’ve included some entries from a publication called the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) in the table below. This is what legal professionals will use to assist them in valuing a general damages payment. It’s made up of a list of injuries and a range of figures based on similar cases that have been processed in court.

You could also be awarded another sum known as special damages. This figure can reimburse you amounts of money that you have had to spend or have lost out on due to your injury or illness caused by prescription errors in hospitals.

For example:

• Loss of earnings
• Certain medical costs
• Travel costs

You’ll need proof such as payslips and/or receipts to prove the financial impact your injuries have had on you.

Get in touch for more information on special damages claims.

Why Claim With A No Win No Fee Solicitor?

All of our solicitors work with their clients on a No Win No Fee basis. If you have a valid claim and choose to enlist their services, then this means they would work with you in the same way.

It means that you won’t have to pay them anything if your claim is unsuccessful. There are no upfront or hidden fees.

If your claim is successful when working with a No Win No Fee lawyer, then their payment is covered by them taking a small percentage of your settlement. This percentage is capped by law.

Get in touch today.

• Call us on 0800 073 8804
• Talk to us about your claim online
• Use the pop-up chat window  

Quick References

1. Dealing with bereavement or loss – an NHS guide.
2. A report on prescription errors from the General Medical Council (GMC).
3. The NHS Resolution Annual Report for 2020/21.
4. Our general guide to medical negligence solicitors.
5. How much you could be owed for a wrongful death claim.
6. Another of our general articles on how to claim.

Thank you for reading our guide on prescription errors in hospitals.

Guide by Bibby

Edited By Melissa.

Last updated 8th April 2025. If you are reading this guide, you have likely encountered a situation which has caused you to ask, ‘The pharmacy gave me the wrong medication; can I start a medical negligence claim?’. We are here to help you answer this question. Pharmacists owe you a minimum standard of care when sorting your prescription. If you have suffered an injury due to their failure to meet said standard, you could be eligible to make a claim for compensation. 

Keep reading to learn more about the eligibility criteria and typical prescription errors for these types of claims. We will also outline the legal time limits for medical negligence claims.

Furthermore, We will examine guideline figures for the compensation you could receive for prescription errors by a pharmacy. Finally, we outline how one of our experienced solicitors could help you to move forward with your case.

Medical negligence claims can seem complicated, so why not get in touch with one of our advisors? They can assist you with your queries and help determine whether your claim for compensation is eligible. Their advice is offered to you free of charge, so what do you have to lose? You could be connected to a No Win No Fee solicitor and recover your financial losses:

• Call us on 0800 073 8804
• Complete our Contact Us form
• Chat to us using the live chat feature below.

Select A Section

1. What Is A Pharmacy Prescription Or Dispensing Error?
2. What Types Of Pharmacy Errors Could I Claim For?
3. What To Do If You’ve Been Given The Wrong Medication
4. How Do I Sue A Pharmacy?
5. What Is The Limitation Period To Claim For Prescription Errors In A Pharmacy?
6. How Much Compensation Could I Claim For A Pharmacy Prescription Error?
7. Can A No Win No Fee Solicitor Help Me?

What Is A Pharmacy Prescription Or Dispensing Error?

All medical professionals have a duty to provide the correct level of care, including pharmacists. However, if a pharmacist was to provide care that falls below the expected standard this could lead to someone suffering additional or avoidable harm.

For example, the pharmacist might fail to check your details before passing you a prescription that was meant for another patient. As a result, you might take the wrong medication causing you to experience side effects that could have been avoided.

After taking the wrong medication, you could experience both physical and psychological effects. If you have evidence that the harm you sustained was caused by a medical professional breaching their duty of care, you could be eligible to seek compensation.

For more information about making a pharmacy compensation claim, call our team. Alternatively, read on for more information about the different types of prescription errors in a pharmacy that could potentially occur.

What Types Of Pharmacy Errors Could I Claim For?

There are potentially various types of prescription errors in a pharmacy that could occur.

However, it’s important to note that not all prescription errors are a result of medical negligence. For instance, a doctor may have done everything they reasonably could to provide you with the right treatment based on the symptoms you exhibited.

The following are examples of where a pharmacist may have acted negligently:

• A pharmacist might have failed to check your prescription correctly and packaged the wrong dosage of medication when sorting your prescription. As a result, you might receive the wrong dosage causing you avoidable harm. If you receive a dose that’s too high, you could experience symptoms of an overdose. If you receive a dose that’s too low, you might find the medication hasn’t been effective.
• A pharmacist may have failed to follow the correct procedures and given you medication that wasn’t prescribed to you. If you took this medication under the assumption that it was part of your treatment, you may have experienced additional harm that could have been avoided.

Can You Claim For Fatal Prescription Errors In A Pharmacy?

If you or someone you love has experienced a fatal incident of medical negligence, a claim could be made to seek compensation.

However, the process of wrongful death claims may differ. For more information, please get in touch with our team on the number above.

What To Do If You’ve Been Given The Wrong Medication 

Here is what to do if a pharmacy gives you the wrong medication in the UK:

• Immediately stop taking the medication as soon as you realise it’s the incorrect medication.
• Contact your doctor and tell them what’s happened.
• Contact the pharmacy who gave you the wrong medication and also tell them what’s happened.
• Keep the packaging of the incorrect medication and any unused medication, including any used packets to show how many doses you have taken.

Prescription errors in a pharmacy can be dangerous, so it’s very important to stop taking any incorrect medication as soon as possible. This is because:

• You could suffer adverse effects from the wrong medication.
• The original condition you needed medication for might have developed and gotten worse.

If you believe you have suffered any of the above harm due to taking the wrong medication, the next step is to contact us to find out whether you can start a medication error claim. Our solicitors are medical negligence claims experts, and can answer any of your questions if you’re wondering, “The pharmacy gave me the wrong medication, what steps can I take to claim compensation?”.

How Do I Sue A Pharmacy?

A lot of people wanting to know what to do if a pharmacy gives the wrong medication in the UK will need to know how to prepare for a possible legal case. There are a few steps you can take, including the below:

• Keeping hold of the medication you received. Prescription errors in a pharmacy could be proved by physical evidence like the label on a pill bottle or its packaging.
• Asking your healthcare provider to give you a copy of your medical history. You have a legal right to request your medical records. Copies of notes or test results could offer proof of your symptoms and suffering.
• Talking to witnesses. Whether it’s someone who you went to the pharmacy with, someone who was there or even a member of staff, collecting contact details means they could be called upon for a statement supporting your claim.

You can also call us or speak to an advisor online for dedicated advice. Our advisors have spoken to many people who have asked, “A pharmacy gave me the wrong medication, what can I do?” and they’re always able to offer useful guidance.

If you have a valid claim, you can instruct a solicitor to help with things like collecting evidence or arranging expert testimony, which can be pivotal in a medical negligence claim.

Learn more by calling or using our live chat service today.

What Is The Limitation Period To Claim For Prescription Errors In A Pharmacy?

When prescription errors in a pharmacy occur and you are wanting to make a claim for compensation, there are time limits to be aware of.

Generally, when making a prescription error claim you would have three years to seek compensation. This might start either from the date the incident occurred or the date you became aware that the medical professional’s negligence caused or contributed to your harm.

In certain circumstances, there are sometimes exceptions. For instance, the time limit will vary if someone is under the age of 18. Additionally, similar exceptions might apply for those who lack the mental capacity to claim.

For more information on the time limits to claiming for harm sustained following prescription errors in a pharmacy, call our team on the number above.

How Long Will It Take To Get My Payout?

The time it takes for your claim to settle may vary depending on different circumstances. For instance, the following factors may affect the length of a claim:

• Whether liability has been admitted
• If your claim needs to go to court
• If further evidence is needed to support your claim.

How Much Compensation Could I Claim For A Pharmacy Prescription Error?

It’s difficult to give a definitive value of compensation for a prescription error without assessing your claim. Each medical negligence claim would be calculated independently.

Your claim might consist of the following:

1. General damages: These would compensate you for any physical and psychological injuries due to medical negligence.
2. Special Damages: These would compensate you for any financial loss caused by the incident. For example, you may have incurred a loss of earnings due to being unable to work while recovering. Other costs might include medical bills or travel expenses. However, you must provide evidence of these losses. You could use prescriptions, payslips or bank statements to provide details of the monetary losses you faced.

Those figuring out the value of your harm might look at medical evidence and Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) figures. The JCG is a document that includes guideline compensation figures for a variety of injuries.

The table below features brackets taken from the JCG. Only the top line isn’t from the document. Please remember that the table is just for general guidance. It acts like a medical negligence compensation calculator, which gives you a rough estimate of what your claim might be worth.

Alternatively, if you cannot see your injuries in the table above, one of our advisors could value your claim for free. Call the number above to discuss how compensation following prescription errors in a pharmacy is calculated.

Can A No Win No Fee Solicitor Help Me?

You could work with our solicitors who offer No Win No Fee services, such as a Conditional Fee Agreement. This means you have no upfront or running solicitor fees to pay while your claim proceeds.

If your case were to win, you would pay a success fee. The solicitor takes a legally capped percentage out of the compensation award. However, if your claim fails, you don’t pay the solicitor for their work.

For more information on how you could work with one of our solicitors, get in touch on the details below:

• Call us on 0800 073 8804
• Complete our Contact Us form
• Chat to us through the live chat feature below.

Supporting Resources

Below, we have included some additional guides and external resources.

• Visit NHS Resolution’s website to understand the role they’ll play in claims against the NHS.
• See the NHS Constitution for England to understand your patient rights.
• For more information on the fundamental standards of care, see the Care Quality Commission.
• Visit our guide on hospital negligence claims if you have experienced further or avoidable harm while receiving care that fell below the expected standard in the hospital.
• See this guide on GP negligence if you have experienced harm as a result of a doctor breaching their duty of care.
• This helpful guide explores how to prove medical negligence.

We hope this guide on claiming for harm sustained as a result of negligent prescription errors in a pharmacy has helped. However, if you need more information, call our team on the number above.

Updated 9th May 2025. Many people are concerned about what course of action they should take if their personal data has been breached. You may ask, “what should I do if my data has been breached?” This article has been written to answer that question.

We understand that it can be confusing when it comes to figuring out what your next step should be after a data protection breach takes place. That’s what our advisors are here for; to help you better understand the process of making a claim for compensation due to the psychological or financial impact of your personal information being breached.

So, get in touch today. By speaking with us directly, you can receive guidance and advice that is specific to your circumstances. We may be able to put you in touch with our solicitors if you have a legitimate claim. Read on for more information.

• Call us on 0800 073 8804
• Contact us online
• Use the pop-up chat window in the corner 

Choose A Section

1. Start By Finding Out If You Were Affected
2. How Do You Check If Your Data Has Been Breached?
3. Secure Your Information Or Data
4. Check For Any Updates About The Data Breach
5. How Else Can You Protect Yourself In The Future?
6. My Data Has Been Breached, How Much Could I Claim?
7. No Win No Fee Data Breach Damages Claims
8. My Data Has Been Breached, How Do I Contact A Solicitor?
9. Where Do I Learn More?

Start By Finding Out If You Were Affected

If you’re wondering, “should I investigate myself if my data has been breached?” the answer, is yes, if the organisation hasn’t informed you of a data breach yet. Such an organisation could be a data controller or a data processor. 

Data controllers are organisations that decide why and how your personal data will be used. Data processors are organisations that are sometimes used to process personal information on behalf of the data controller.

Personal data or personal information is anything that can be used to identify you, such as your name or bank details.

A personal data breach occurs when a security incident leads to personal data being unlawfully:

• Lost
• Disclosed
• Destroyed
• Altered
• Accessed

This can be accidental or deliberate.

The organisation should advise you of a data breach if ir risks your freedoms and rights. However, they might not always be aware of the breach. 

You should also check for yourself whether or not the data protection breach has affected you. For example, a data controller may have had access to your banking information for official purposes. If this information has been accessed or distributed unlawfully then this could lead to your finances being compromised. You may need to check your bank account, and also get in touch with your bank to see if there has been any suspicious activity.

However, it is not only a financial impact that could lead to you making a claim. You may also be affected in other ways. If you have suffered mentally due to health concerns such as depression or anxiety related to your personal information being breached, you could also be compensated for this.

It’s important to remember that you need to have suffered financial or psychological harm as a result of the data breach. You cannot be compensated if you have not been affected by your information being breached.

You also need to show that the data controller or data processor’s positive wrongful conduct caused the data breach. For example, they may not have trained staff properly in data protection. Alternatively, they may not have used online security measures to protect your personal data.

How Do You Check If Your Data Has Been Breached?

If you’re concerned that a data breach has happend, you should contact the organisation involved. If they don’t provide you with a satisfactory response, you could contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). This is an independent UK body that is responsible for imposing financial penalties on organisations responsible for the mishandling personal data under legislation such as the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).

They could investigate the matter for you. However, you’d need to contact them within 3 months of the organisation’s final unsatisfactory response about the potential data breach. Waiting longer than this can affect the ICO’s decision on the issue. 

Secure Your Information Or Data

If your personal data has been breached, it’s advised that you take measures to prevent it from happening again. It’s important to secure your data. Some steps you could take include:

• Contacting your bank to freeze your payment cards (csuch as a debit card or a credit card)
• Change your login details (such as your password and/or email address)
• Check bank statements to make sure there are no unauthorised charges on your account

Check For Any Updates About The Data Breach

It’s important to make sure you keep an eye out for any developments regarding the incident that led to the data protection breach. Initially, you may not be affected by the events. 

However, it’s possible that as time goes on, your details may turn out to have been included in the information that was breached.

It’s important to stay vigilant in the period of time after finding out about the data protection breach.

How Else Can You Protect Yourself In The Future?

Use caution when people are asking for your personal information. Whoever is asking may seem like a reputable source. However, it’s possible that they’re mimicking a respected organisation in order to access your data. This is known as phishing.

Additionally, it’s generally advised to use strong passwords. This means using a string of characters rather than words that have special meaning to you. These can be easier to guess or work out.

Using the same password for various accounts can also lead to your security being comprised. It’s better to use more than one password. If possible, it can help to use a unique password for each account. 

My Data Has Been Breached, How Much Could I Claim?

Now that you know more about what to do if your data has been breached, let’s talk about how much compensation you could claim. Data breach payouts can be split into two heads, which cover:

• Material damage: These are the financial losses you’ve suffered as a result of the data breach

• Non-material damage: These are the psychological injuries you’ve suffered as a result of the data breach

When non-material damage compensation is calculated, the professionals working on the claim may reference the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This document is used to help calculate payouts because it provides guideline compensation brackets. You can take a look at some examples of these in the table below, but keep in mind that these are not guaranteed amounts, and that the first entry in this table is not from the JCG.

Material damage compensation is calculated by assessing your current and future projected financial losses caused by the data breach. For example, if you lost out on earnings because you had to take time off work to recover from the psychological effects of the data breach, then you could claim these back under this heading.

It can also help you cover the cost of things like relocation, counselling, and prescriptions to help you deal with the effects of the breach.

If you’re still looking for the answer to the question “My data has been breached, what can I do?” we suggest that you contact an advisor from our team. Or, you can keep reading to learn more.

No Win No Fee Data Breach Damages Claims

You may be hesitant to make a claim for a breach of data protection because of the cost of hiring a solicitor. However, our solicitors work on a No Win No Fee basis for all claims they accept. 

An arrangement such as this means that you are not responsible for paying your solicitor their fee if your claim is unsuccessful. You only have to cover their fee if you are awarded compensation. Their fee is a small percentage that’s taken from your settlement. This percentage is capped by law. 

Under a No Win No Fee agreement, you can also benefit from:

• No ongoing solicitor fees
• No upfront solicitor fee

My Data Has Been Breached, How Do I Contact A Solicitor?

Get in touch today and we can let you know whether or not you may be able to make a No Win No Fee claim. You can also read the reviews on our website left by previous clients.

If you are one of the people asking, “my data has been breached, do I have a claim?” then we are here to help.

• Call us on 0800 073 8804
• Speak to us about your claim online
• Use the pop-up chat window in the corner 

 Where Do I Learn More?

• Our guide on what to do in the event of a bank data breach.
• An article on claims involving unauthorised access to patient records.
• More information data breach solicitors.
• Find out how to make a complaint to the ICO.
• An NHS overview of clinical depression

If you’d like any more information on what you could do after your personal data has been breached, get in touch.

Written by Bibby

Edited by Victorine

Last Updated 23rd June 2025. Welcome to our passport data breach claims guide. Firstly, we define what a personal data breach is and discuss who could be eligible to make a passport data breach claim.

We also answer the questions, “What can someone do with your passport number?” and “How do I find out if my personal data has been compromised?”

Furthermore, we discuss how data breach compensation is calculated in successful cases and what the perks are of working with a No Win No Fee solicitor.

Key Takeaways

• You may be able to make a claim if you suffer financial and/or psychological harm because an organisation failed to comply with data protection laws.
• If your data breach claim succeeds, you might receive compensation for certain financial losses and/or the psychological harm you endured.
• Your data breach claim will need supporting evidence.
• Human error and deliberate acts can be responsible for passport data breaches.
• Our expert solicitors can help you claim through a No Win No Fee agreement.

Keep reading to find out more about passport data breach claims. Alternatively, contact our team of advisors at any time for free guidance about your potential claim. If our advisors think your case could be successful, they can connect you with one of our data breach solicitors:

• Call us on 0800 073 8804
• Fill out our online ‘contact us’ form
• Message the live chat on this page

Select A Section

1. What Is A Passport Data Breach?
2. How Do You Check If You Were Affected By A Passport Data Breach?
3. Passport Numbers – What Can Someone Do With Your Passport Number?
4. Is There A Responsibility To Record Lost Documents?
5. Compensation For A Breach Of Data Protection – Passport Data Breach Claims
6. How Could A Passport Data Breach Happen?
7. Start Your No Win No Fee Passport Data Breach Claim Now

What Is A Passport Data Breach?

A passport data breach could be a breach that has involved your passport or passport details in some way. It could also include if there is a data security incident at the HM Passport Office.

For example, suppose an organisation had your details because you were in the process of renewing your passport. If your personal data was stolen because it was left out in the wrong place, and you were harmed in some way as a result, you could potentially claim compensation.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is the UK’s independent body that upholds information rights. According to their definition, a personal data breach is a breach of security that leads to the loss, unlawful destruction, alteration, access to, or unauthorised disclosure of, personal data. These could be accidental or deliberate and unlawful incidents, such as cybercrime.

To be eligible to make a data breach claim, you must prove that:

• A breach occurred because an organisation failed to comply with data protection laws.
• The passport data breach led to your personal information being compromised.
• You were resultingly harmed, financially or psychologically (or both).

Article 4 of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) defines personal data as any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person. This includes information that can be used to identify a data subject (such as yourself) directly or indirectly. The UK GDPR, along with the Data Protection Act 2018, are the key pieces of legislation that protect the personal data of British citizens.

Personal data includes your name, email address, and passport number. Your passport might also contain biometric information. Due to its sensitivity, this type of information is termed special category data and is given additional protections under the UK GDPR.

How Do You Check If You Were Affected By A Passport Data Breach?

Sometimes, if a data breach occurs, you may be notified by the organisation involved in the incident. If they are aware of the breach and believe it might affect your rights and freedoms, they are obligated to inform you of it without ‘undue delay.’ They also must report the incident to the ICO within 72 hours.

You may also discover your passport data breach by noticing the consequences. For example, you might start to receive suspicious messages asking you to click on links or disclose further personal information.

Contact our advisors today to find out more about how you could claim if you were affected by a data breach.

Passport Numbers – What Can Someone Do With Your Passport Number?

Someone with your passport number can potentially use the information to impersonate you and engage in criminal activity. For instance, they might use this personal data to commit phishing attacks or even try to forge a passport.

Call our advisors if you would like to know more about the potential impact of a personal data breach involving passports. Our team is available 24/7, so you can always be sure you’ll get a quick response to your questions.

Is There A Responsibility To Record Lost Documents?

As mentioned, if there is a data breach that infringes on the freedoms or rights of the data subject (you), the organisation must report the breach to the ICO within 72 hours. Organisations such as HM Passport Office may also record the loss on a security log.

Compensation For A Breach Of Data Protection – Passport Data Breach Claims

Compensation for a breach of data protection can consist of:

• Non-material damage: The psychological harm you suffered because of a passport data breach, such as anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• Material damage: The financial loss resulting from a breach.

Below, you can find some examples of psychological harm taken from the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). This is a document that publishes suggested brackets for data breach compensation, which can be helpful to solicitors when assessing a claim.

Please note that the top figure in the table isn’t from the JCG, and none of these brackets are a guarantee of compensation as every case is unique.

As mentioned, it is also possible to claim for certain financial losses, such as:

• Past and future loss of earnings.
• Investing in additional security for your home.
• The cost of relocating to a new address.
• Counselling or therapy expenses if you suffered psychological harm because of the data breach.

In order to claim for these losses, you must be able to provide evidence. As such, it can be a good idea to keep any bank statements or invoices that are relevant to your personal data breach claim.

Contact our team today to find out how one of our solicitors could help you claim compensation.

How Could A Passport Data Breach Happen?

As we have stated, a passport data breach can happen if an organisation does not meet their obligations, as set out by the UK’s data protection laws. Below, we have provided some useful examples showing how such a failure can lead to valid passport data breach claims. These may help you to answer the question, ‘Can I claim for a passport data breach?’

• An employee at the Passport Office leaves your application unattended on a desk. That failure allows an unauthorised person to take the documents, meaning that they now have access to your personal information, including your home address and full name. Not knowing who has access to your data causes you to suffer severe anxiety.
• The passport office fails to regularly update its online security systems. That inaction leaves it vulnerable to a cyber attack, whereby cybercriminals steal your personal data. You receive threatening letters to your home address, meaning that you have to relocate.
• A travel agent accidentally emails your passport details and personal data to a different email address than the one you provided. This leads you to develop PTSD.

Get in touch with our advisors today to find out if you can make a claim for passport data breach compensation. They will assess the specifics of your case and advise you on how to sue for a passport data breach.

Start Your No Win No Fee Passport Data Breach Claim Now

You don’t need to hire legal representation to start a claim, but we always recommend it. Hiring a lawyer could give you a better chance for success, as they will have a deep understanding of the claims process to expertly guide you through every step.

Our solicitors can offer their services on a No Win No Fee basis under the terms of a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). That means:

• Not having to pay any solicitor fees upfront.
• No solicitor fees appearing during the claims process.
• Zero solicitor fees to pay for the work done on your claim if you don’t win.

If the claim wins, then your solicitor will deduct a success fee from your compensation as payment for their work. However, you’ll keep most of the compensation as the percentage that is taken is legally capped.

Whether you’re ready to claim or would like further guidance, please contact us today to speak with an advisor. Our team are available 24/7 to offer free legal advice personalised to your claim and possibly connect you with one of our specialist solicitors. Get started using the details below:

• Call us on 0800 073 8804
• Fill out our online ‘contact us’ form
• Message the live chat on this page

Further Reading

For further reading, please see some of our other guides below:

• Get more information on your rights after your personal data is lost with our helpful guide.
• Advice on what to do after a solicitor data breach.
• Learn how to make a social services data breach claim and find out how a solicitor could help you.

External resources that may also be helpful:

• Government guidance on making a data protection complaint.
• Findings on cyber security breaches in 2024.
• Read about the work of the National Cyber Security Centre.

Please get in touch if you have any further questions about passport data breach claims.

Written by Morrissey

Edited by Victorine

In this guide, we explore when medication calculation errors could lead to claims. Compensation could be owed to you if your health has been negatively impacted due to a negligent medication miscalculation by a medical professional.

This article goes through what could cause medication calculation errors. An error such as this could lead to a patient developing a health condition, or an existing condition being made worse.

Get in touch if you have any queries. Our advisors are ready and waiting to help. We may be able to connect you with an expert medical negligence solicitor if we think you could have a legitimate claim. Read on for more information.

• Call us on 0800 073 8804
• Contact us through our website and speak to us about your claim online
• Use the pop-up chat window in the corner 

Select A Section

1. What Medication Calculation Errors Could You Claim For?
2. Causes Of Medication Calculation Errors
3. Why Do Medication Calculation Errors Happen?
4. How To Claim For Drug Calculation Errors And Their Consequences
5. Damages Awarded For Harmful Medication Calculation Errors
6. Discuss Your No Win No Fee Medication Calculation Errors Claim

What Medication Calculation Errors Could You Claim For?

The effects of medical negligence can vary on a case-by-case basis. Some patients may be more severely affected than others. However, even less severe injuries or illnesses caused by calculation errors involving medication could make you eligible to receive compensation. 

It’s just possible that the amount awarded to you could be worth less than someone who has suffered in a greater way than you.

It also doesn’t matter whether you received private healthcare, or if you were treated at an NHS facility. Healthcare professionals in either setting still owe you the same duty of care. Therefore, you can still claim regardless.

Healthcare professionals should treat their patients with the minimum standard of care and skill. If they provide care that falls below this, they could be seen as negligent. if the breach of duty of care causes the patient to suffer undue physical or mental harm, they could claim.

Clinical Negligence Statistics

The NHS keeps track of how much it spends each year on costs associated with medical negligence claims made against them. They release the figure each year in the NHS Resolution Annual Report. The 2020/21 report shows that they spent £2,209 million on these associated costs.

You can see how this total was broken down in the graph below. However, it’s important to note that not all the claims involved with this figure relate to medication calculation errors. They can be medical negligence claims from all areas of the NHS including hospitals, GP surgeries, dental claims.

Causes Of Medication Calculation Errors

This section focuses on possible reasons errors such as this could take place. All of the causes below can lead to injuries of varying severity. Medical negligence can even be fatal. A loved one can still make a claim on behalf of the deceased.

Overprescribing

This is when the dose that a patient receives is too high for them. Certain calculations need to be made for certain medications so that the patient is administered an appropriate amount. 

Factors such as the patient’s age and weight can affect how this calculation is made, and the dosage they should receive.                                         

Underprescribing

This can be a cause if the correct medication is administered but at too low of a dose. Alternatively, it could be the correct dosage, but of the wrong medication.

If a patient doesn’t receive the correct dosage of medication, then their condition could become worse. 

Other Factors

There could be certain administrative errors that factor into medication calculation errors. For example, a certain dosage being administered may not have been properly recorded. As a result, the patient could receive double the amount of medication they should. 

Why Do Medication Calculation Errors Happen?

Miscalculations can happen for a number of reasons. For example, it’s possible that the nurse or doctor who made the calculation was not focused on their work. Alternatively, the hospital management may be aware that they are short on staff and that current healthcare professionals are having to work extended hours.

Tiredness can lead to mistakes, but the negligent behaviour in this instance may lie with the management for not hiring enough staff so that appropriate breaks and time off can be taken.

How To Claim For Drug Calculation Errors And Their Consequences

Drug error claims can be made easier by taking certain steps. We’ve listed some of the more common ones in this section.

Inform Those In Charge

Whether privately-owned or run by the NHS, the medical facility should have a complaints procedure. You should tell them how you have been affected by the medication calculation error.

This way, they can investigate what happened. They may even offer you an early settlement. We advise you to seek legal advice before accepting an offer of any kind. You could be owed more than you realise and can’t claim if you accept a settlement first.

Gather Evidence

You’ll need to be able to prove that medical negligence caused or worsened your injuries or illness. Acquiring proof such as your medical records is a good example of this. You may also be required to attend an independent medical assessment at a facility other than the one where you were injured. However, this can be arranged so it is local to you.

Seek Legal Advice

If you choose to enlist legal help, your lawyer could assist you and offer guidance throughout the process. This could make the experience a less stressful one.

Get in touch today if this is something you’re interested in.

Damages Awarded For Harmful Medication Calculation Errors

Legal professionals may use a publication called the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) when working out an appropriate value to award you for your physical and mental injuries. This figure is called general damages.

We’ve included some example entries from the JCG in the table below to give you a better idea of how injuries can be valued.

You may also be awarded special damages. These are costs that have arisen as a direct result of your injuries. You will need proof to back them up. Examples include:

• Loss of earnings
• Additional care costs
• Medical expenses
• Travel costs

Speak to us today to find out more or to have your claim valued for free.

Discuss Your No Win No Fee Medication Calculation Errors Claim

All of our solicitors work with their clients on a No Win No Fee basis. This means that if you have a strong, valid claim, an arrangement such as this will be made available to you.

What it means is that you are not required to pay your lawyer their fee if your claim is not successful. You are only obligated to pay them the fee if they help you win your claim and you are awarded compensation. Then, their fee is covered by a small percentage taken from your settlement. You will be aware of this fee ahead of time, and it is capped by law.

Reach out today to see if you could make a No Win No Fee claim, and reduce the personal financial risk that hiring legal help can present.

• Call us on 0800 073 8804
• Speak to us about your claim online
• Use the pop-up window in the corner 

Learn More About Medication Error Claims

Follow the links below for more information.

Our general guide on how to claim for medical negligence.

What to do in cases of wrong medication in a care home.

Read about wrongful death claims

A legally-appointed litigation friend could claim on your behalf.

NHS guide for coping with grief and bereavement.

Read about the role of the General Medical Council (GMC).  

We can help you understand more about medication calculation errors if you get in touch today.

Written by Bibby

Edited by Victorine

Last updated 10th June 2025. This guide will explore how to claim compensation for prescription errors, examples of which include prescribing allergens or incorrect doses. This article will look at the different types of prescription errors, how they could affect you, and when you might be able to claim compensation.

Prescription errors that cause harm can be classed as medical negligence. This is when a medical professional breaches their duty to provide a minimum standard of care and you are harmed in the process. This guide will provide helpful advice on your options should you ever experience medical negligence.

Continue reading if you would like to learn more about examples of prescription errors. You can also get in touch with us directly at any time. Our team of advisors can offer free advice. They can also connect you to a specialist medical negligence solicitor, who could help you start your claim. Contact us if you have questions on personal injury claims or medical negligence claims:

• Call 0800 073 8804
• Contact us online.
• Message our online claims advisor below.

Select A Section

1. Prescription Errors: Examples Of Omissions Or Delays
2. Prescribing A Known Allergen
3. Examples Of Prescription Errors: Medication And Drug Interactions
4. What Could You Claim For These Examples Of Prescription Errors?
5. How Do I Prove A Prescription Error?
6. What Is No Win No Fee?

Prescription Errors: Examples Of Omissions Or Delays

This section looks at what omission or delay prescription errors are and how they could occur. If a medical professional omits or delays a prescription, it could cause serious harm to the patient.

For example, if a patient was discharged from the hospital after surgery, they may require a certain medication for their continued recovery. Not providing this necessary prescription could disrupt the patient’s rehabilitation. If this medication was not prescribed due to substandard healthcare practices, this could be medical negligence.

Some medications also need to be taken at certain time intervals or points in the day. If this does not happen, the medication could have no effect on the patient, meaning their condition continues to worsen. Should a medical professional be required to administer the medication but fails to due to providing substandard care, this would be medical negligence.

If medical negligence leads to your undue suffering, you could make a claim.

Prescribing A Known Allergen

Sometimes, people could be allergic to certain medications or components of the medication. However, you would not be able to claim if you had an allergic reaction to something your doctor was unaware you were allergic to.

However, if you have an allergen on your medical record and a medical professional prescribes it anyway, this could be medical negligence. You could have an allergic reaction and come to harm.

For example, you may be allergic to penicillin. This may be noted on your medical record, but your GP still prescribes penicillin. Therefore, you could potentially have an allergic reaction that leads to further harm than your original injury or illness.

How Serious Could Allergic Reactions Be?

Allergic reactions can vary in severity, as it may depend on the person and the substance to which they are allergic. According to the NHS, most allergic reactions are mild, and symptoms may include:

• Red, itchy or watery eyes
• Blocked or runny nose
• Red and itchy rash
• Wheezing and coughing
• Sneezing

However, some people may suffer from a severe and potentially life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis. Symptoms may include:

• Breathing difficulties
• Clammy skin
• Confusion and anxiety
• Collapsing or losing consciousness
• Feeling faint
• Hives
• Sickness

If being prescribed a known allergen has caused you harm, get in touch to find out more about starting a claim.

Examples Of Prescription Errors: Medication And Drug Interactions

If you are prescribed more than one medication, you could be at risk of a drug interaction. This is when medications react badly to each other, leading to unexpected side effects. The more medication you are prescribed, the more you could potentially be at risk of a drug interaction.

A drug interaction could make your medication less effective or cause serious side effects.

How Could Drug Interactions Harm People?

A drug interaction could decrease the efficiency of your medication. If this happens, it could lead to your pre-existing condition worsening when the medication should have been improving symptoms. It is important to note that you can only claim for the portion of harm caused by medical negligence and not your original illness or injury.

Some medication interactions could even have serious side effects. For example, one or more of the drugs could become more toxic to you as your blood levels increase.

What Could You Claim For These Prescription Errors Examples?

This section includes a table of potential compensation amounts that you could receive as a general damages payout if you are harmed by medical negligence. General damages is the element of your compensation that covers the physical and mental suffering caused by medical negligence.

You would also attend a medical appointment so that a medical professional can evaluate the severity of your injuries and how they may continue to affect you. This would be key evidence for general damages.

Injuries from medical negligence can also lead to financial losses. You can claim any financial losses back as special damages if you can prove they were part of negligence in question. For example, you could claim back any related travel expenses if you provide receipts for petrol and appointment letters for the same day.

You can also claim for future losses, such as a continued loss of earnings if you need to take time away from work to recover.

For our advisors to value your claim for free, why not get in touch?

How Do I Prove A Prescription Error?

It is important to prove a prescription error by collecting evidence. The documentary proof will help to support your medication error claim. Here are some examples of the evidence you could collect:

• Medical records, such as prescriptions, X-rays and GP notes.
• Contact details of the person who accompanied you to the hospital: This would help to prepare a witness statement at a later stage.
• Photographs of any rashes or scars due to allergies or other effects.
• Personal written records, such as diary entries.
• The packaging of the wrongly prescribed medication.
• Financial records, such as bank statements and invoices for special damages.
• Employment records to illustrate any loss of earnings due to time taken off from work.
• Copies of correspondence with the hospital or your doctor.
• Psychiatric records to demonstrate the psychological impact.
• Cost of aids, such as inhalers and nebulisers.

We can understand that collecting evidence is a time-consuming and overwhelming process. However, one of our expert medical neglgience solicitors could help you with gathering this.

Call our advisors now for more prescription errors examples and the type of evidence each kind would require.

Get A No Win No Fee Assessment Of Prescription Errors Examples Claims

If you’re considering hiring legal representation, you should know there are ways to fund a solicitor’s work. Our solicitors offer their services on a No Win No Fee basis. What could this mean for you?

• You don’t need to pay anything towards the solicitor’s fee before or during your claim.
• Your solicitor only deducts a success fee if you receive compensation.
• You don’t pay for your solicitor’s services if they are unsuccessful.

If you think a No Win No Fee agreement could be for you, contact our team of advisors today. They can offer free guidance about your claim and could connect you with a solicitor.

• Call 0800 073 8804
• Contact us online.
• Message our online claims advisor below

References On Examples Of Prescription Errors

Thank you for reading our guide on examples of prescription errors. We hope it was useful. For further related references, please see below.

• Dispensing Error Claims – Our article explains your rights if you’ve been prescribed the wrong medication.
• Hospital Wrong Medication Negligence – If you’ve been given the wrong medication in a hospital, find out how you could claim.
• NHS Resolution – This is the NHS’s legal branch that handles negligence claims.
• Allergy UK – This registered charity aims to support those living with allergies.

Thank you for reading our guide about examples of prescription errors.

By Lewis Cobain. Last Updated 20th March 2025. This guide will explain how to claim compensation for a burn injury at work. Burn injuries can have a life-changing effect on a person and may cause permanent disabilities. What’s more, burns victims often suffer psychological injuries such as PTSD or a loss of self-esteem. Under what circumstances can you claim burn injury at work compensation? If your employer was responsible for your accident at work, you might be eligible to claim compensation.

This guide will help you estimate how much compensation you can claim for an injury at work. We will also explain how to make a burn injury claim for an accident at work. To begin your claim, please get in touch with a Legal Expert today. We can provide you with a skilled personal injury lawyer to handle your compensation claim. You can make a No Win No Fee claim, so there is no upfront solicitors fee to pay.

Select A Section

1. Am I Eligible To Claim For a Burn Injury At Work?
2. How Much Could You Claim For A Burn Injury At Work?
3. Types Of Burn Injury At Work
4. What Burn Injuries Can You Claim For?
5. What Evidence Is Needed For A Burn At Work Claim?
6. Can I Make A No Win No Fee Burn Injury At Work Claim?

Am I Eligible To Claim For A Burn Injury At Work?

Before we look at any examples of skin burn at work claims payouts, we need to examine the eligibility criteria to begin a personal injury claim. Employers are required to take reasonable steps to ensure employee safety as per the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

Any failure to take those steps could constitute a breach of the duty of care owed. You could have valid grounds to seek compensation if that breach caused you harm.

In summary, then, in order to claim compensation, you will need to show the following:

1. Your employer owed you a duty of care at the time of the accident.
2. This duty was breached in some way.
3. This breach resulted in an accident in which you were injured.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety, has published various resources to help employers meet their legal obligations.  Steps to manage risks need to be taken to minimise the potential for accidents to occur. This can include performing adequate risk assessments and introducing measures to remove or control those risks.

So, for example, if hot equipment such as welders or chemicals are being used, sufficient personal protective equipment should be provided to minimise the risk of employees suffering burns

To find out if you can claim in your particular circumstances, contact our advisory team today.

How Much Could You Claim For A Burn Injury At Work?

Compensation in a successful burn injury at work claim can be paid out under two seperate heads of claim. These are:

• General damages, which awards for the physical and psychological harm caused.
• Special damages, which awards for monetary losses. We’ll look at this in more detail later.

When solicitors come to calculate a potential general damages figure, reference can be made to your medical evidence alongside the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). The JCG document contains guideline award brackets for various injuries.

We have used a selection of the guidelines for bodily scarring in our table here. It is important to note that the first entry was not taken from the JCG.

Compensation Table

Please be advised that this table is intended as guidance only.

Can I Claim Special Damages Following A Burn Injury At Work?

The second of the two heads of claim, special damages, compensates for the financial harm caused by your injuries. As special damages can be awarded for both current and future losses, they will very often be higher than general damages payouts.

We have given a few examples here:

• Loss of earnings.
• Medical Expenses.
• Care costs.
• Transportation.

Make sure you hold onto copies of your payslips, travel tickets, invoices and other document as proof of any losses you incurred.

To get a free assessment of your eligibility to claim skin burn at work compensation, as well as a more personalised idea of what your potential claim could be worth, get in touch with our team today.

Types Of Burn Injury At Work

What types of burn injury at work can you experience? According to the NHS there are four main types of burn:

• A superficial epidermal burn damages the epidermis or outer layer of the skin. Symptoms include red skin and swelling.
• A superficial dermal burn will damage the epidermis, the outer layer of skin, and part of the dermis.
• A deep dermal burn or partial thickness burn damages the epidermis and the dermis. Symptoms include red skin blotchiness. In some instances, the skin may be dry or moist. The skin may also have blisters.
• The skin has three layers; the epidermis, the dermis and the subcutis. A full-thickness burn is where all three layers of the skin are damaged. The injury may have fully burned the skin away, and the tissues below may appear to be blackened.

Symptoms of burn injuries can include the following:

• Red skin
• Peeling skin
• White skin
• Charred skin
• Blisters
• Swelling on the skin

What is the difference between scalding and burns? Dry heat causes burns. And scalding injuries are caused by wet heat such as hot liquids or steam. For example, you can be scalded by a hot drink.

What Burn Injuries Can You Claim For?

There are various types of burn injuries that you could claim compensation for. However, you would need to prove that your injury was caused by your employer breaching their duty of care. Some examples of the types of burn injuries you may be able to make a personal injury claim for include:

•   Electrical burns – this type of burn occurs when an electrical current passing through your body is resisted by the body tissues, subsequently causing a heat burn. An electrical burn could be caused by a faulty plug in a workplace that is not adequately maintained by an employer.
•   Chemical burns – these burns are defined as tissue damage caused by a harsh or corrosive substance. A cleaner may be prone to this type of burn as they use cleaning equipment, which often contains harsh chemicals such as bleach. Staff should be provided with regular training on how to handle such chemicals correctly.
•     Thermal burns – any direct exposure or contact with fire, hot surfaces or hot fluids may cause a thermal burn. Employees working in restaurants or manufacturing industries are at risk of a thermal burn injury. Therefore, their employer should provide them with sufficient personal protective equipment to prevent the risk of injury.

To find out if you could make a personal injury claim for compensation for a burns injury, you can contact one of our friendly advisors today. They can offer you free advice and help answer any questions you may have.

What Evidence Is Needed For A Burn At Work Claim

If you have decided to make a personal injury claim following a burn at work, you will need evidence to prove not only that your employer has acted negligently but this has led to a burn injury at work. Evidence will need to show liability and the extent to which you were harmed. Therefore the evidence which will be useful for you to collect would be:

Medical evidence—If you suffer a burn injury, it is always important to have it checked out by a medical professional. This will ensure not only that you get the treatment you need to recover but that the injury will also be recorded in your medical records, and these can be used as evidence to prove what injury you suffered.

Photographic evidence — If possible and only when safe, capture evidence of the cause of your injury. If the area is covered by CCTV cameras, ask for a copy of the footage that shows the incident occurring.

Witnesses – although you cannot take statements from witnesses for your claim yourself, it is important to gather their contact details so an allocated person can take a statement from them during the claiming process.

Accident logbook—It is vital that if you suffer an accident in the workplace, you report it to the designated person so that it can be correctly logged. If you go on to make an accident at work claim for a burn injury, you can request a copy to use as evidence.

Why not give our advisors a quick call? In a free case assessment, they can tell you if you have grounds to make a burn at work claim. They could also connect you with an accident at work solicitor if your case is eligible. Our solicitors will gather all the necessary evidence needed to prove your case if you decide to work with them.

Can I Make A No Win No Fee Burn Injury At Work Claim?

Have you suffered a burn injury at work that was not your fault? Then you may be eligible to claim compensation from your employer. Legal Expert can provide you with a knowledgeable solicitor to handle your claim and help you get the compensation you deserve.

All our solicitors offer No Win No Fee terms. We will only charge a success fee if your lawyer wins your claim. You will sign a Conditional Fee Agreement to formalise the process.

To begin your burn injury claim, please get in touch with Legal Expert today using the details below:

• Call our claims helpline on 0800 073 8804. We can offer you free legal advice and answer any questions you may have.
• Or begin your claim online today via our website.
• Alternatively, please type a question for us into the chat widget on the bottom right-hand side of your browser.

More Information

You can read some of our other accident at work claims guides here:

• Find out more about claiming compensation for a pulled muscle at work with this guide.
• See our case study –  £50,000 compensation for burns from fireworks here.
• Learn more about when compensation for lifting injuries at work could be awarded.

We have also included some external resources for additional information:

• An NHS guide to applying first aid to burns
• Types of incidents that are reportable to RIDDOR
• You can learn about how to request CCTV footage of yourself with this government guidance.

We’d like to thank you for taking the time to read our guide to claiming burn injury at work compensation. You can get further information as well as a free assessment of your eligibility by talking to our advisors. Contact the team at any time via the details given above.

Guide By Chelache

Edited By Melissa.

Updated on 19th May 2025. Did you know that prescription error compensation could potentially be possible if you were given the wrong medication? A pharmacy or hospital owe their patients a duty of care. As part of this duty, they must provide you with a certain level of care.

If medical negligence led to you being provided with the incorrect medication and this caused you harm, you could be eligible to pursue a claim for prescription errors compensation. This article explains how you could claim damages for a mistake like this.

This guide aims to provide the information that you need to start a claim. However, if you have any questions on prescription error compensation as you read the sections below, please don’t hesitate to get in touch:

• You can call us on 0800 073 8804
• Visit our ‘contact us‘ page
• Learn how a panel of personal injury specialists might assess your claim by using the ‘live support’ option to the bottom of this screen

Select A Section

1. What Medication Errors Could You Claim For?
2. What Are The Effects Of Prescription Errors?
3. Limitation Periods For Prescription Errors Compensation Claims
4. Am I Eligible To Make Prescription Errors Compensation Claim?
5. Do I Need Evidence To Support My Prescription Error Claim?
6. Calculate How Much Your Prescription Errors Compensation Payout Could Be
7. Get Help From Our No Win No Fee Claims Team

What Medication Errors Could You Claim For?

A medication error is when a pharmacy, GP, nurse or doctor fails to prescribe, dispense, administer, or monitor the right medication to a patient. Prescribing errors can involve:

• Over or under-prescribing a medication
• Prescribing the wrong dose
• Omitting to prescribe a medication
• Prescribing the wrong medication or at the wrong time
• Incorrectly diagnosing a medicinal need
• Using an unauthorised drug or branded version as a substitute
• Failing to check compatibility with other medications
• Storing medications incorrectly which renders them harmful
• Mixing prescriptions or imputing patient information incorrectly (administrative errors)
• A hospital or care home administering the wrong prescription medication to a resident

Doctors and hospital staff have a duty of care to perform their role with the same degree of competence expected of any other typical practitioner. Also, pharmacists are bound by the Medicines Act 1968.

Furthermore, healthcare providers report ‘patient safety incidents’ (PSI) if they accidentally (or deliberately) administer the wrong medicine and the patient becomes sick.

Not all medication errors will qualify a patient to claim medical negligence compensation. Call our claims team today for free legal advice and have your case assessed with no obligation.

What Are The Effects Of Prescription Errors?

The effects of prescription errors can range from no side effects at all to extreme and life-threatening depending on the patient. In addition to preventing the original health problem from being properly treated, wrong medication can create new health problems. Adverse drug reactions can include:

• Skin rashes and irritation
• Nausea and drowsiness
• Confusion and visual disturbances
• Mental health problems
• Vomiting and stomach pain/cramps
• Organ damage
• Anaphylactic shock or death

Symptoms such as this may take time to present themselves. In view of this, it’s important to raise any concerns about your medication as soon as you feel something is wrong.

How Many People Are Impacted By Medication Errors?

According to the British Medical Journal approximately 237 million medication errors are made in England every year. Researchers calculated that “avoidable” mistakes with medication costs the NHS over £98 million every year and over 1700 lives. Other statistics state that:

• 54% of errors happen at the point of administration
• 1 in 5 (21%) were at the point of prescribing
• Dispensing errors account for 16%
• Error rates are highest in care homes (42%)
• 3 out of 4 medication errors (72%) are minor
• 1 in 4 (just under 26%) have the potential to cause moderate harm
• In addition to this, 2% could result in serious harm

Source : https://www.bmj.com/company/newsroom/237-million-medication-errors-made-every-year-in-england/

Limitation Periods For Prescription Errors Compensation Claims

There is a three-year compensation time limit for making a medical negligence claim. This starts from the date of your injury or the date of awareness that medical negligence caused you harm and applies to NHS or private healthcare givers.

These periods vary for children or those who lack the capacity to represent themselves. In cases such as this, you can claim on their behalf as a litigation friend.

Am I Eligible To Make Prescription Errors Compensation Claim?

If a pharmacist, GP, nurse or doctor incorrectly prescribed or administered the wrong medication because they did not adhere to professional standards, it is possible to seek damages for any harm caused. How can prescription errors occur:

• Not listening to the patient therefore misdiagnosing the symptoms
• Not checking that the medication prescribed does not affect other medication
• Issued an adult dose to a child
• Failed to properly consult patient notes which led to an allergic reaction
• Told to take too much which caused an overdose

With this in mind, it’s necessary at the start to be clear who could be responsible for the prescription error (pharmacy staff or GP, for example). Then you can look at how the duty of care owed to you may have been breached and how it may have prompted your injuries. Call our team to have your claim for prescription errors compensation evaluated for free.

Do I Need Evidence To Support My Prescription Error Claim? 

If you want to be awarded prescription errors compensation, you must obtain evidence to establish that negligence occurred. This means that you must prove how the medical provider breached their duty of care, resulting in the harm you suffered from the prescription error. 

Here is a list of examples of the type of evidence that will support your claim:

• A copy of your medical records to show what condition or illness you need medication for
• A copy of your prescription with the correct medication and a copy of the one with the incorrect medication
• A copy of any reports you made about the medical professional who gave you the incorrect medication
• Photographs of the harm you suffered or of the incorrect medication you were given 
• A copy of any information that was contained in the packaging of the medication you were given 
• The contact details of anyone who witnessed the breach of care or medication error 

Medication error compensation may be difficult to claim if you do not have the supporting evidence. If you are struggling to obtain it, our experienced solicitors may help you with this to ensure your claim is successful.

If you require some assistance in obtaining evidence or on how to do so, please contact our friendly team of advisors. 

Calculate How Much Your Prescription Errors Compensation Payout Could Be

When making a claim you may want to know how much compensation for wrong medication you could be awarded. If you make a successful medical negligence claim, the settlement for the wrong prescription will be made up of two types of damages. General damages is the first head of loss that will be provided and is always awarded in a claim that is successful. This compensates for the pain, suffering and loss in quality of life caused by the negligence. Secondly, there is special damages, and this compensates for the financial impact again of the negligence.

For the general damages head of your prescription error claim, legal professionals such as medical negligence solicitors will use your medical evidence, any independent medical reports and publications such as the Judicial College Guidelines JCG to value this area of the claim. The JCG is a document that consists of a number of injuries and illnesses, all at varying levels, accompanied by compensation bracket guidelines.

The table below shows extracts from the JCG. The first entry does not appear in the JCG but has been provided to illustrate a figure for multiple serious harm and the financial losses that could occur as a result.

Each case varies when calculating clinical negligence claims, therefore please note these amounts represent guidelines only.

Special Damages For Prescription Error Compensation Claims

As we mentioned earlier, you could also claim compensation for your special damages. These are financial losses that have occurred due to the medical negligence. For instance:

• A loss of earnings if you need to take time away from work to recover.
• Care fees, if an at-home carer is needed to help you at home.
• Prescription costs, if you need to take additional medication

Please note that you can only claim compensation for the avoidable harm caused, not for any impacts of your original illness or injury.

It’s necessary to provide evidence of these monetary losses, such as payslips or receipts. A clinical negligence solicitor can also help you calculate future or predicted costs that could arise from the repercussions of a prescription error. So why not call our team to see what you could include as part of your prescription errors compensation claim?

Get Help From Our No Win No Fee Claims Team

In conclusion, at Legal Expert, we offer a service whereby you can connect with immediate expert help. Your claim could begin in minutes with one simple phone call in which you could be connected to a No Win No Fee medical negligence solicitor.

When a medical negligence solicitor works under a No Win No Fee agreement, there is no requirement to pay upfront fees. Successful cases need a maximum fee of 25%. Furthermore, should the case not win, there are no fees to pay to your solicitors at all.

Learn more by getting in touch with us on the contact details below. Find out how a No Win No Fee solicitor could help your medical negligence claim.

• Call us on 0800 073 8804
• Visit our ‘contact us‘ page
• Use the ‘live support’ option to the bottom right of this screen

Quick Medical Negligence Links

Thank you for reading this guide. Below are further resources that can assist your prescription errors compensation claim:

• More information about GP error prescription compensation payouts
• Wrong medication claims against a pharmacy
• Or details about compensation for negligent treatment in a hospital
• Read more about patient safety alerts and reporting a medication mistake from the NHS
• Details on how medication errors should be reported to the Care Quality Commission
• Find out if you could sue a hospital for a hospital-acquired infection with our helpful guide.

By Stephen Hudson. Last Updated 11th February 2024. Have you suffered whiplash injuries in a road traffic accident due to another road user’s negligence? If so, you may be entitled to compensation. This guide will look at what the minimum speed for a whiplash claim is and how you could claim compensation.

Whiplash can affect you physically, mentally, and financially. This can be confusing and stressful when you’re unsure who to turn to for help, but our friendly team of advisers are here to help.

You may have some questions about making a road traffic accident claim, such as:

• Can you claim whiplash under 10mph?
• What is a low-speed accident?
• Can I claim for minor whiplash?
• What is the definition of whiplash?

We will answer these questions throughout this guide and explain how you could be able to make a road traffic accident claim. Our excellent team of advisors are available to offer 24/7 free legal advice. They can also calculate the compensation figure you may be owed for your injuries.

If your claim is legitimate, you can be connected to a road traffic accident solicitor from our panel. They can then have a chat with you about No Win No Fee agreements and begin seeking the maximum amount of compensation you’re owed.

You can contact our friendly team of advisers by:

• Ringing them on 0800 073 8804 to discuss your options.
• Filling out our form online to request a call back at your earliest convenience.
• Chatting with an adviser straight away on our live chatbot for a response immediately.

Select A Section

1. Is There A Minimum Speed For A Whiplash Claim?
2. Why Is There No Minimum Speed For A Whiplash Claims?
3. How Do The Whiplash Reforms Define Whiplash Injuries?
4. How Do I Know If My Injury Is Worth More Than £5,000?
5. Whiplash Claim Amounts
6. Get Help With Road Traffic Accident Claims

Is There A Minimum Speed For A Whiplash Claim?

This guide will help define a whiplash injury and clarify in what instances you may be able to seek compensation. However, before we do that, it’s important to note that there isn’t a minimal speed limit for your vehicle in order to make a claim.

Why Is There No Minimum Speed For A Whiplash Claims?

The reason there isn’t a minimum speed for a whiplash claim is because the speed of your vehicle is not always a factor in getting a whiplash injury. This is because you could technically still get a whiplash injury even if your vehicle is completely stationery. Any collision can result in this type of injury meaning that, in some cases, only one vehicle will be moving.

Whiplash can occur due to a sudden impact of two vehicles. The driver or passenger’s neck can be thrown forward or back or suddenly twist, leading to the injury. As per the NHS, the symptoms can often take a few hours to start after the injury has been sustained.

Please read on to learn more about how the claims process works in relation to whiplash and the eligibility criteria to make a claim.

How Do The Whiplash Reforms Define Whiplash Injuries? 

The Whiplash Reform Programme outlines that if your whiplash injuries are valued below £5,000, you can settle your claim online rather than making a personal injury claim.

A whiplash injury is a ligament or soft tissue injury to the back, shoulder, or neck. This includes tendon, muscle, or ligament damage (for example, strains, tears, sprains, or ruptures).

You can get in touch with our expert team of advisers at any time of day to discuss the minimum speed for a whiplash claim. If your case looks promising, you may be connected to a personal injury solicitor to potentially begin working on your claim.

Will The Whiplash Reform Programme Impact My Claim?

If your injuries are valued below £5,000, and the associated financial losses are below £10,000, you could make a claim through the Whiplash Reform Programme. Instead, your claim would be made through the online portal.

How Do I Know If My Injury Is Worth More Than £5,000? 

One of the best ways of valuing your injuries is to access medical evidence.

It’s important to seek medical treatment after a car accident. You may not notice you have whiplash straight after the accident, as it can sometimes only arise around a week afterwards.

Furthermore, you may notice pain and stiffness in your neck that gets worse as the weeks go on. The sooner you visit a medical professional, the sooner you can receive your whiplash diagnosis and potentially make a road traffic accident claim.

Furthermore, you can receive a diagnosis for any other injuries sustained in the vehicle collision alongside whiplash. You may not even notice you’ve suffered these injuries until a medical practitioner assesses you.

What’s The Time Limit For A Whiplash Claim?

If you have strong grounds to make a whiplash claim, then you should be aware that there is a time limit for beginning this process. The Limitation Act 1980 establishes that there’s a three-year time limit for starting a claim for whiplash from a car crash or any other type of road traffic accident. This time limit usually starts from the date of the accident.

Under certain circumstances, the time limit can work differently. If a child suffers whiplash in a road traffic accident, then the time limit will not start until their 18th birthday. A claim could be made on the child’s behalf by a court-appointed litigation friend before this day arrives. However, if this does not occur, then the injured party will have three years to start their own claim from the day they turn 18.

If the injured party lacks the mental capacity to start their own whiplash claim, then the time limit is suspended indefinitely. A litigation friend could make a claim on behalf of this party. However, if this doesn’t happen, and the injured party later recovers this mental capacity, then the three-year time limit will start for them on the day of recovery.

If you have any questions regarding your eligibility to claim for a whiplash injury, please contact our team of advisors today for free.

Whiplash Claim Amounts

You may be wondering how much you can claim for your whiplash injury. Depending on how long you suffer from your symptoms, your whiplash claim amount can range from 4,215 to 4,345 if your symptoms last for between 18 and 24 months, as seen in the table below. The Whiplash Injury Regulations 2021 is the guide used to calculate compensation for whiplash injury claims worth below £5,000.

If you want to claim for a whiplash injury, seeking legal representation may improve your chances of success. Legal assistance can ensure that everything is calculated properly when claiming for whiplash.

The table below shows the most up-to-date compensation figures from the Regulations. It’s important to note that you would only need to claim through this method if the accident took place in England or Wales.

It’s impossible to provide you with an average whiplash claim amount as every claim is different. Aspects that determine how much you could receive include the extent of the injury and whether the injury is long-term or permanent.

If you would like free legal advice to discuss your potential case, please contact us using the details above. We can answer any questions you have about the claims process, confirm your claim eligibility and connect you to a specialised solicitor.

Personal Injury Claims

We cannot provide the average whiplash settlement, as every claim is affected by different circumstances.

If you were injured in an accident and are suffering from symptoms of whiplash, we would recommend that you, if you have not already done so, seek out a medical assessment. A medical report can help a legal professional value your injuries so you know how you may need to claim.

If your overall cumulative injuries are valued at over £5,000, you could be eligible to make a claim outside of the Official Claims Portal.

In England & Wales, legal professionals use the Judicial College Guidelines to help value general damages. Here are examples that show how whiplash injuries could be valued in a personal injury claim.

If you would like to learn more about whiplash compensation then please reach out to one of our advisers.

Extra payouts for whiplash claims

Special damages offer compensation for the financial aspect of your life that the injury has affected. Examples of this could be if you paid out of pocket for nursing care or if you suffered a loss of earnings after taking time off work to recover from your injuries.

Other examples of what you could claim back in special damages could include:

• Medical expenses, such as prescription costs and treatments not covered by the NHS
• Travel costs, such as if you have had to pay for taxis to and from the hospital or public transport if your vehicle was too damaged to drive
• Property damage, such as anything broken or damaged in the car due to the accident

You could also potentially claim back future losses, if applicable. For example, if you would continue to need expensive medical treatment or prescriptions, you may be able to claim these future costs back as part of your claim.

Our team of advisors are available 24 hours a day to chat about your situation and discuss the minimum speed for a whiplash claim. If your claim is valid, they can connect you to a road traffic accident solicitor to chat about No Win No Fee agreements.

Get Help With Road Traffic Accident Claims

When claiming for whiplash, it may be beneficial to use legal assistance. A solicitor can explain exactly how to claim for whiplash and can give you an accurate estimation of your whiplash compensation in a successful claim.

Our legal advisors at Legal Expert can give you a free initial consultation to evaluate your chances of success. Our solicitors could also offer a No Win No Fee arrangement, which means that you do not pay for their work except when your whiplash compensation claim is successful. If your claim is successful, a small percentage of your compensation will go towards paying for the solicitor’s work. The percentage of your compensation that can go towards this purpose is capped by law to ensure that you retain most of your compensation.

You can get in touch with us using the following methods:

• Call on 0800 073 8804
• Chat with us in real-time using the chatbot feature on our website
• Fill out our online contact form and you will be contacted

Sources Relating To The Minimum Speed For A Whiplash Claim

Road Traffic Accident Solicitors – How to Make a No Win No Fee claim – Our article looks at No Win No Fee road traffic accident claims in more detail.

£2 million Compensation For A Serious Road Accident – You can find more information about making a compensation claim for a serious road traffic accident.

Different Types Of Road Traffic Accidents – Our guide explores the various types of vehicle collisions.

Head Injury and Concussion – You can learn more about head concussion and injury in this NHS article.

Broken Arm or Wrist – Have you suffered an arm or wrist fracture? If so, you can find important information in this NHS guide.

Advice After A Foot Fracture – This NHS guide offers advice if you’ve suffered a broken foot injury.

Motorcycle Passenger Accident Claims – Find out how you could claim as the passenger in a motorcycle accident caused by negligence.

Learn about the average payout for a herniated disc in the UK and get advice on the claims process through our helpful guide.

Thank you for reading our guide about the minimum speed for a whiplash claim.