Sepsis claims usually involve missed opportunities to act on clear clinical warning signs. This may include failures to:

• Recognise deteriorating observations such as rising heart rate or low blood pressure
• Act on signs of infection following surgery, childbirth, or hospital admission
• Escalate concerns to senior clinicians when a patient’s condition worsens
• Reassess patients whose symptoms persist or worsen after initial treatment

Claims focus on whether established sepsis pathways and escalation procedures were followed.

Some patients – particularly children, older adults, pregnant women, or people with communication difficulties – do not present with classic sepsis symptoms. Healthcare professionals are expected to account for this and apply additional caution. Claims may arise where symptoms were dismissed without adequate reassessment or monitoring.

Yes – if the person affected 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.

A claim can still be brought on behalf of someone who has died from sepsis caused by medical negligence. These claims may include compensation for the pain and suffering experienced before death, funeral expenses, and financial dependency losses for close family members. 

Many families also pursue a claim to understand what went wrong and to ensure accountability where opportunities to diagnose or treat sepsis were missed.

Compensation reflects both the severity of the sepsis and its lasting consequences. It is usually divided into two parts:

• General damages, covering pain, suffering, psychological trauma, reduced quality of life, organ damage, amputations, or long-term disability
• Special damages, covering financial losses such as rehabilitation costs, ongoing medical treatment, care needs, loss of earnings, travel expenses, and future support

Each sepsis claim is assessed individually, with compensation aimed at supporting recovery, long-term stability, or family security where a life has been lost.