By Danielle Jordan. Last Updated 23rd July 2025. This is our updated guide to blood transfusion compensation claims. In this guide, you can learn more about when and how to make blood transfusion claims, which are a kind of medical negligence claim.
A blood transfusion is a procedure in which one person (a donor) donates blood to another person. A transfusion may be required if someone experiences significant blood loss following an accident, childbirth or surgery. Blood transfusions may also be given to treat certain conditions such as sickle cell disease, haemophilia or certain types of cancer.
We often think of blood transfusions as life-saving procedures that occur only for the most poorly patients in the worst circumstances. Unfortunately, there are instances where that is not the case. If you have experience of that, and have suffered unnecessary harm due to substandard care, please reach out to our advisors today:
- Ring on 0800 073 8804.
- Discuss your situation through our live chat.
- Get in touch via our contact page.
Select A Section
- Incompatible Blood Transfusion
- Contaminated Blood Compensation
- What Is The Contaminated Blood Scandal?
- What Kind Of Blood Transfusion Compensation Claims Can Be Lodged?
- When Can You Make A Blood Transfusion Claim?
- How Much Could Blood Transfusion Claims Be Worth?
- Why Does Compensation For Blood Transfusion Vary?
- Claiming Against The NHS Or Private Hospital For Blood Transfusion Compensation – What You Need To Know
- No Win No Fee Compensation For Blood Transfusion
- Call Legal Expert For Free Advice On Compensation For Blood Transfusion
- Helpful Links
Incompatible Blood Transfusion
Thankfully, wrong blood transfusion cases are rare, but have you ever considered what would happen if someone received the wrong Rh factor? Or if a patient has type B blood, if they received a transfusion of type AB blood, what would happen?
The answer is you would undergo an abo incompatibility reaction or hemolytic transfusion caused by your blood attacking the incompatible blood. Blood is classified into four types: A, B, AB, and O, and can also be categorised as Rh-positive or Rh-negative. Blood that does not match your blood type will be rejected by your body.
Therefore, it is essential to determine if you have type A blood and which types of blood you can safely receive as a transfusion.
Have you been harmed by an incompatible blood transfusion? If so, please contact us to discuss making a blood transfusion compensation claim today.
Contaminated Blood Compensation
We also expect that a blood transfusion will provide us with clean blood. However, by reading about contaminated blood news, we learn that sometimes people are unwittingly infected with blood diseases through blood transfusions.
Naturally, there is compensation for a blood transfusion that results in conditions caused by contamination. The Government administers an infected blood payment scheme if you received a transfusion before September 1991. This is not only a Hep C compensation fund – it covers those affected by HIV as well. It is mainly intended to provide victims of the tainted blood scandal compensation who received blood products in the 1970s and 1980s.
What Is The Contaminated Blood Scandal?
In the 1970s, the NHS imported large quantities of blood products, specifically Factor VIII and Factor IX. The news reports on contaminated blood indicate that it was caused by unsafe manufacturing practices, meaning that one infected individual could potentially infect as many as 60,000 other donations in the same batch.
No individual organisation admitted responsibility, and the UK Government created a fund to help with the living costs of those affected. The Contaminated Blood Compensation fund was overhauled in 2016 following widespread calls for reform.
Compensation for contaminated blood victims also includes those affected with other blood-borne diseases such as vCJD. You can contact us about contaminated blood transfusion compensation claims.
What Kind Of Blood Transfusion Compensation Claims Can Be Lodged?
Compensation for blood transfusion is a difficult issue. Patients who receive blood transfusions are often seriously ill, so it is necessary to be sure that the blood transfusion is to blame.
Wrong blood transfusion cases and compensation for victims of contaminated blood are the most common types of claims. You can contact us to learn more about blood transfusion compensation claims.
When Can You Make Blood Transfusion Negligence Claims?
You can make blood transfusion negligence claims at any time, provided that you are able to prove the following:
- A medical professional owed you a duty of care. The term ‘medical professional’ could include a nurse, surgeon or doctor, while the duty of care itself can extend to facilities, such as hospitals.
- There was a breach in the duty of care. This means that the medical care you were given fell short of the minimum expected professional standards.
- The breach resulted in you suffering harm that would have otherwise been avoidable.
Can Blood Transfusion Claims Be Made On Behalf Of Somebody Else?
Yes, blood transfusion claims can be made on behalf of someone else through the role of a litigation friend. This role is used in situations where individuals cannot claim because they are:
- Minors: Since minors cannot claim compensation on their own until they reach the age of 18, a parent or another trusted adult can step in.
- Mentally incapacitated: If an individual does not have sufficient mental capacity to claim for themselves, somebody else can pursue blood transfusion compensation on their behalf.
In some unfortunate instances, negligent blood transfusions can turn out to be fatal. Under the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1934, only the estate of the deceased person is able to claim compensation within the first 6 months of their passing. This claim covers the individual’s pain, suffering and financial losses.
The estate can also claim on behalf of loved ones. If no such claim is made in that 6-month window, then the Fatal Accidents Act 1976 allows certain qualifying dependants to claim for how the deceased’s passing has impacted them.
We understand that the process of claiming blood transfusion negligence compensation on behalf of somebody may seem intimidating. However, you can contact our advisors for further guidance.
How Much Could Blood Transfusion Claims Be Worth?
Settlements for successful blood transfusion claims may consist of general and special damages. General damages compensate you for the medical negligence, taking into consideration the pain and suffering you have experienced due to the unnecessary harm.
To help assess the potential value of someone’s pain and suffering in a medical negligence claims, legal professionals use the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) as guidance. This document is relevant here since it lists guideline compensation brackets for different forms of harm.
In our table, we’ve included some of the compensation brackets from the JCG. Please use the table only as a guide, noting that the lead row isn’t from the document.
| Type of Harm | Estimated Compensation |
|---|---|
| Multiple Very Severe Forms of Harm and Special Damages (e.g. The Cost of Private Medical Treatment) | Up to £1,000,000+ |
| Brain - Moderately Severe | £267,340 to £344,150 |
| Brain - Moderate (iii) | £52,550 to £110,720 |
| Kidney (a) | £206,730 to £256,780 |
| Kidney (b) | Up to £78,080 |
| Kidney (c) | £37,550 to £54,760 |
| Lung (b) | £85,460 to £118,790 |
| Lung (c) | £66,890 to £85,460 |
| Lung (d) | £38,210 to £66,920 |
| Lung (f) | £12,990 to £25,380 |
| Lung (g) | £6,500 to £22,080 |
Special Damages
Additionally, you could be awarded special damages as part of your blood transfusion compensation payout. Special damages compensate you for the financial losses incurred because of the unnecessary harm you experienced. However, you must provide proof of your financial losses, such as wage slips and bank statements.
Examples of losses you might be compensated for under special damages include:
- Care costs if you require a carer to help you at home.
- Travel expenses, such as fares to take a taxi to and from medical appointments.
- Loss of earnings if you required time off work.
- Medical costs, such as therapy or prescriptions.
Our advisors can help you understand what factors may be considered when calculating infected blood transfusion compensation. Contact them using the details at the top of the page for free advice.
Why Does Compensation For Blood Transfusion Vary?
You can claim compensation for contaminated blood, incorrect transfusion (for example, if a patient has type B blood and receives a transfusion of type AB blood), or if they have been given a transfusion without consent or unnecessarily. The effects of each event vary, so the level of compensation is calculated according to how badly you have been affected by the action.
Claiming Against The NHS Or Private Hospital For Blood Transfusion Compensation – What You Need To Know
If you think you have been affected by a blood transfusion, whether you are looking for tainted blood scandal compensation or believe you didn’t give permission for a transfusion, you should take legal advice before proceeding.
Depending on the nature of your claim, you may simply need to fill in some forms to be eligible for a payout – for example, from a Hep C compensation fund. Negligence claims will need investigating and may well show up a deficiency in the system. In the case of Mr A, it was discovered that two other transfusions had occurred where blood of the wrong type had been given. It was also discovered that an automated warning had been overridden and nurses had not fully followed procedures that should have ensured his safety.
No Win No Fee Compensation For Blood Transfusion
Talking to us is completely free. If we think you have a valid claim, we will take on your case through a Conditional Fee Agreement. That ensures you won’t have to pay any solicitor fees before your claim starts or as it progresses. You also won’t face paying these fees if your claim loses.
If you win, you’ll pay the solicitor a success fee for all the work done on the case. While this fee is deducted from your compensation, it’s kept small because the percentage taken is legally capped.
Call Legal Expert For Free Advice On Compensation For Blood Transfusion
So what have you got to lose? Find out if you have a case to claim compensation by using the details listed below:
- Ring on 0800 073 8804.
- Discuss your situation through our live chat.
- Get in touch via our contact page.
Helpful Links
- Learn about the work of the Haemophilia Society.
- Read about making hospital negligence compensation claims.
- Get insight into medical negligence resulting in death.
- Find out how to prove medical negligence in a compensation case.
We hope our guide to blood transfusion claims has been helpful to you.
