Medical negligence cases involve both healthcare and law, often involving complex clinical details that are difficult for non-medical professionals to interpret. Determining whether a healthcare provider breached their duty of care and whether that breach caused harm requires a careful, evidence-based view. This is where medical negligence experts become vital. Their role is not only to interpret complex medical facts but also to provide an opinion on whether the actions of a treating clinician or healthcare provider meet the appropriate standard of care. Their input can be the difference between a successful claim and an unsuccessful one.
What is a Medical Negligence Expert?
A medical negligence expert is a healthcare professional who typically has extensive experience and expertise in their field of medicine and provides an opinion on whether the care and treatment given was negligent and whether any injury has been caused due to the negligent treatment. Unlike treating healthcare professionals, who are directly involved in a patient’s care, these experts are independent and do not know the treating clinicians, ensuring that the advice that an expert provides is impartial and free of any bias.
They may be asked to assess whether a critical diagnosis was missed, if an avoidable error was made, or whether consent procedures were properly followed. These professionals may be engaged by either side in a case – Claimant or Defendant – and must adhere to strict duties of impartiality, offering opinions based solely on the evidence.
Why are experts crucial in these cases?
Medical complexity
Medical negligence cases often involve highly specialised knowledge. The court, who typically lack medical training, rely on expert testimony to understand whether actions taken, and treatment provided were reasonable under the circumstances.
Establishing breach of duty
One of the core legal tests in negligence is whether the care provided fell below an acceptable standard. An expert who is instructed to prepare a breach of duty medical report will examine clinical records, guidelines, and other evidence in order to determine whether the healthcare provider did not adhere to the relevant standard of care.
Proving causation
It is important to determine, where a breach of duty is established, that the claimant has been caused to suffer harm as a result. This requires an expert opinion on the issues in question for example, was the delay in treatment a direct cause of deterioration? Would the outcome have changed if proper care had been given? Expert evidence is essential in answering these questions.
Defining the Standard of Care
What is considered ‘reasonable’ care can vary between medical specialities. Medical experts provide assistance in defining whether a healthcare providers actions or omissions have fallen below the standard expected of a competent practitioner in that field, helping the court to apply the correct standard by providing objective, unbiased opinions on matters within their expertise. This is why when obtaining an opinion from an expert on breach of duty, it is important to instruct an expert of the same specialism as the potential Defendant.
Legal Requirements and Guidelines
Expert evidence is most often a formal requirement in medical negligence litigation, with the expert’s main duty being to the court, not to the party instructing them.
Medical negligence experts are vital in helping to bridge the gap between clinical practice and legal standards. Their role is central to understanding if harm has been suffered due to substandard care and is vital to assessing the prospects of succeeding in a medical negligence claim. As healthcare becomes more complex, the demand for competent, impartial, and clear medical experts will continue to grow.
