Following surgery, you expect pain to improve over time, not worsen or persist. Signs that your hip replacement may have gone wrong include:

• Constant or worsening pain, even after the healing period.
• Limited movement or stiffness that doesn’t improve.
• Clicking, popping, or instability in the joint.
• Signs of infection (including redness, heat, or discharge from the wound).
• Leg length discrepancies that make walking difficult.

These issues may result from an incorrectly placed implant, infection, or nerve damage. If you’re concerned, seek medical advice and legal support promptly.

Yes – if NHS treatment fell below reasonable standards and resulted in avoidable harm, you can make a legal claim. The process involves:

1. A free legal consultation (by us) to assess your case.
2. Requesting and reviewing medical records, alongside an independent expert opinion.
3. Lodging the claim through NHS Resolution, the body responsible for handling claims against NHS trusts.
4. Settlement negotiation or court action if needed.

Importantly, compensation is paid from the NHS’s central fund – not by individual clinicians – and may include damages for pain, additional surgeries, financial losses, and long-term care needs.

To succeed in a hip surgery negligence claim, your solicitor must prove two key points:

• Breach of duty: the care you received fell below accepted medical standards.
• Causation: this substandard care directly caused or worsened your condition.

Evidence is gathered from: surgical and hospital records, imaging scans (X-rays, MRI), independent expert reports, witness statements, and your personal account.

Yes – if the person affected by negligent hip surgery is unable to bring the claim themselves, a litigation friend can act on their behalf. This applies if the individual:

• Is under 18.
• Has limited or no mental capacity.
• Has experienced cognitive decline or disability that prevents legal decision-making.

Litigation friends are often family members or close friends. They make legal decisions in the claimant’s best interest and liaise with the solicitor to progress the case.

Compensation depends on the severity of the injury and its effect on your quality of life. A claim can cover:

• General damages: for pain, discomfort, and loss of enjoyment of life.
• Special damages: including loss of earnings (past and future), private physiotherapy or rehabilitation, equipment or mobility aids, house or vehicle adaptations, paid or unpaid care from family or professionals, travel, prescriptions, and incidental expenses.

For more serious complications – such as permanent nerve damage or inability to work – compensation can run into six figures.

Metal-on-metal (MoM) hip implants have largely been withdrawn from use due to safety concerns. These implants were originally marketed as more durable, especially for younger, active patients. However, they have been linked to:

• Abnormal wear releasing metal debris.
• Inflammation, swelling, and soft tissue damage.
• Metallosis (metal toxicity), which can cause serious health problems.

If you’ve suffered due to a MoM implant, your claim may be against either the NHS or the manufacturer – depending on whether the issue was due to clinical negligence or a defective product. Strict time limits apply, particularly for product liability claims, so act quickly.