Needle Stick Injuries Claims

What is a needle stick injury?

A needle stick injury is typically caused by the accidental insertion of a medical needle or syringe into the body. Depending on the severity, there may be a risk of infection, disease, excessive bruising, or scarring. These types of injuries can also be known as ‘sharps injuries’ or ‘extravasation injuries’ if fluid or medication leaks outside of a vein and into the surrounding tissue.

This type of injury can also occur during a blood test, insertion of a cannula or injection of medication. Sometimes this can be carried out in the wrong part of the body or using a poor technique, leading to nerve damage, bruising, pain or scarring.

There are inherent risks to undergoing all medical procedures. The risks should be fully explained to you by the doctor and/or nurse practitioner before any medical procedure.

What are the possible impacts of a needle stick injury?

Suffering a sudden puncture of the skin can be distressing enough. However, medical needle sticks are particularly dangerous because the equipment could have already been used on someone.

A needle stick injury could result in the following infections:

• Hepatitis B – According to Public Health England(PHE), the chances of developing hepatitis B following a needle stick injury are 1 in 3.
• Hepatitis C – PHE reports that the chances of developing hepatitis C following a needle stick injury are 1 in 30.
• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) – PHE reports that the chances of developing HIV following a needle stick injury are 1 in 300.
• Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
• Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)

What causes a needle stick injury?

Potential causes of needle stick injuries or bruises include:

• Having a needle incorrectly inserted into your body
• Having an unclean needle inserted into your body
• Having fluid or medication leak out into the surrounding soft tissue
• Failure to treat a needle stick injury correctly

What are some symptoms of a needle stick injury?

Depending on the severity of your needle stick injury, you may experience the following symptoms:

• Bleeding
• Excessive, prolonged pain
• Bruising
• Fever
• Nausea

Certain symptoms could stem from blood-borne diseases that have been transmitted through the needle stick.

Can I claim for needle stick injuries?

Data from NHS Resolution states that it received 2,600 claims for needlestick injuries for incidents that occurred between 2012 and 2022.

If you’ve suffered because of a needle stick injury you may be able to make a claim for compensation. Our team of medical negligence solicitors will help you through the process in an empathic and professional manner.

No matter your reasons for needing an injection, you should be able to trust that you will be taken care of by medical professionals. A needle stick injury claim will hold those responsible accountable for not meeting the correct standard so that it doesn’t happen to others.

It’s important to remember that a needle stick injury can happen if you are a medical professional too. Whether this is due to a lack of safety training or correct procedures, this doesn’t mean you’re any less entitled to make a claim if the accident occurred in your workplace.

Why should I claim for needle stick injuries?

If your claim is successful, your compensation should cover losses you have suffered as a direct result of the needle stick injury. This might include loss of earnings, as well as physical and mental repercussions such as trauma and pain. Your compensation can also be used to cover fees for treatment or therapy, which may be necessary to help you resume life more normally.

It can be easy to think that following an accidental injury, you should simply “get on with it”. The truth is that many accidents are unavoidable, but if poor safety measures caused your needle stick injury, you may be entitled to compensation. Similarly, if you have suffered a needle stick injury or bruise because of an accidental, failed, or negligent needle injection, you may have a claim for compensation and other losses.

If you have a possible case for a needle stick injury claim, get in touch with us as soon as possible. We will listen carefully, take full details of what happened, and confirm if you have a potential claim for compensation.

Can I claim against the NHS?

Medical negligence can occur in both private and public healthcare settings. Either way, a standard has not been met, which could mean you are eligible to make a claim.

You may feel that claiming against the NHS is not the right thing to do, but it’s important to remember that you may be entitled to do so. If you have suffered at the hands of someone not doing their job properly, you are entitled to receive compensation to cover financial losses and injury.

The amount of negligence claims against the NHS is relatively low and NHS Resolution is responsible for dealing with claims made against the NHS in England. It works with its annual budget to ensure compensation is paid fairly to those who are entitled to it.

Jessicca Hall, Solicitor in our Medical Negligence Team, says:

In total there were an estimated 570 million patient contacts with GP, community, mental health, hospital, NHS 111 and ambulance services in 2021/22. This is equivalent to every person in England being assessed, treated and cared for by the NHS 10 times a year, or 1.6 million interactions with patients every day.

17,116 clinical and non-clinical claims were resolved in 2022/23 compared with 16,484 in 2021/22.

Why trust Been Let Down with my needle stick injury claim?

If you feel you’ve been let down and have suffered a needle stick injury, let our medical negligence solicitors get you the compensation you deserve.

At Been Let Down we:

• Operate as an independent firm that always has your best interests at heart. Your dedicated solicitor will keep you up to date at every stage of the process, so you always know what’s happening with your claim.
• Are regulated by The Solicitors Regulation Authority and are members of the Liverpool Law Society and The Law Society.
• Can help you on a No Win No Fee basis, which means that you only pay fees if you win your case.
• Are recognised as specialists in this complex area of law by The Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners.
• Provide an outstanding level of support and our client reviews can vouch for this.
• Have a team of specialist solicitors who know what it takes for a needle stick injury claim to succeed.

Needle stick injury claim FAQs

Contact us today

Get in touch with the team today and find out how we can help you with your needle stick injury claim.

Please call us on 0800 234 3234 or fill in our contact form and a member of our legal team will call you back.