Advice On MRSA Claims And Medical Negligence Compensation

Last Updated 7th April 2026. Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) is a common type of bacteria which is found on the skin. When MRSA is outside the body, the bacteria are harmless; however, if it enters the body, it can cause serious infections, such as sepsis, and can even result in death. Consequently, if you are infected with MRSA and it was caused by medical negligence, you can look into MRSA claims. Don’t worry, we can help you secure medical negligence compensation.

Here at Advice, our team of advisors are available 24/7 to answer any questions you may have about starting the claims process. They can even offer you a free consultation to discuss your eligibility, compensation estimates and what benefits and services our solicitors can offer you. Notably, our solicitors offer these services on a No Win No Fee basis, allowing you to claim with confidence. Get in touch with us using the contact information below:

Let’s Answer Your Burning Questions Right Away

• What are the symptoms of an MRSA infection? MRSA symptoms can present as skin that is painful, swollen, warm to the touch, leaking pus or liquid, and appears red.
• How can MRSA be treated? MRSA can be treated with antibiotics. More serious infections may need to be treated in hospital.
• Can I claim without a solicitor? Yes, you can; however, we recommend seeking professional legal advice to ensure you secure the maximum possible compensation.
• Is there a time limit to start an MRSA claim? Yes, it’s typically 3 years from the date you suffered the harm or the date you became aware of it.
• How much compensation could I get? Your compensation is dependent on the severity of the harm and whether you incurred financial losses.

Contact us today via one of the options below:

• Call us on 0161 509 2856
• Contact us online
• Our live chat has a bot-free guarantee–you’re just a click away from talking to a dedicated advisor.

Jump To A Section

1. What Are MRSA Claims?
2. Can I Claim Compensation After Contracting MRSA?
3. Could An MRSA Infection Be The Result Of Hospital Negligence?
4. How Much Compensation For MRSA Claims?
5. Case Study: MRSA Compensation
6. What Evidence Could Help You Claim Compensation For An MRSA Infection?
7. Why Claim With Advice’s Expert MRSA Solicitors
8. MRSA Claims On A No Win No Fee Basis?
9. Frequently Asked Questions: MRSA Claims
10. Read More About Medical Negligence Claims

What Are MRSA Claims?

MRSA claims are a type of legal action brought by individuals who have been avoidably harmed by an infection acquired due to substandard care, including a failure to wash hands between patients. Often referred to as a ‘superbug,’ MRSA is an antibiotic-resistant bacterium that can lead to life-threatening sepsis if it enters the bloodstream.

Claims involving MRSA frequently arise because of poor hygiene practices in hospitals or a failure to recognise and act on clear symptoms of an infection, such as a persistent fever and swelling around a surgical wound.

If you were avoidably harmed because a hospital or other healthcare setting failed to follow infection control protocols or hygiene standards, you may have a case to make a claim. You can learn more about claiming MRSA compensation by talking to our friendly advisors today.

Can I Claim Compensation After Contracting MRSA?

You may be eligible to claim compensation after contracting MRSA if it can be shown that a failure to meet the required standard of care resulted in avoidable harm. Both of these aspects are required in order for the actions of healthcare professionals to be deemed medical negligence. We have given more details on the eligibility requirements to claim MRSA compensation below:

1. A duty of care was owed: Medical professionals have a legal responsibility to provide you with the correct standards of care. Whether you were a patient in a public or private healthcare setting, every healthcare provider must ensure they follow infection control protocols and maintain proper hygiene standards, including handwashing between patients, sterilisation of surgical instruments, and deep cleaning of wards.
2. This duty was breached: A failure to meet hygiene standards or to isolate patients with MRSA where there is a high risk of transmission can amount to a breach of the duty of care. Breaches may also occur if surfaces and equipment are not properly sterilised or if patients do not receive MRSA screening prior to elective surgery or an emergency admission.
3. That breach caused you avoidable harm: While the impact of MRSA is manageable if the proper hygiene measures are put in place and implemented effectively, patients can experience significant, avoidable physical and psychological harm when this is not the case. This includes life-threatening sepsis, tissue damage, and long-term respiratory problems. 

You can get a free eligibility check today by speaking to our advisors at a time that suits you. 

Could An MRSA Infection Be The Result Of Hospital Negligence?

If doctors, surgeons or nursing staff fail to meet these standards, patients could contract an invasive infection.

Causes of hospital-acquired infections could include:

• Hospital staff not carrying out regular cleaning to the appropriate standards. If surfaces are not sufficiently cleaned, infections could be spread.
• Surgical staff failing to correctly sanitise prior to surgery. MRSA bacteria could be transferred into patients during surgical procedures if they fail to do this.
• Patients not being checked for MRSA prior to surgery.
• Placing patients with a weakened immune system next to those who are infected with MRSA.
• A doctor fails to identify that a patient is suffering from MRSA this leads to a delayed diagnosis which allows the condition to worsen unnecessarily.

Find out more about how a No Win No Fee medical negligence claim solicitor from our solicitors could help with MRSA claims by contacting our team.

How Much Compensation For MRSA Claims?

Settlements for MRSA claims may be made up of two parts. These are:

• General damages. These damages are paid out for pain and suffering caused by your illness. This may be for the injuries as well as the illnesses caused by the infection. To help you understand how general damages could be calculated, we have taken a few figures from the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) and included them in the list below. The JCG is a document that those responsible for valuing MRSA claims may refer to for guidance. It lists various illnesses and injuries in differing severities.
• Special damages. These damages are calculated based on the costs and losses you suffer as a result of your infection.

As all medical negligence cases are different, the list below does not represent the circumstances of your claim. As such, please only use it as guidance. We’ve also included another figure at the top of the list to show you how compensation could be awarded for various types of harm in addition to special damages. This figure was not taken from the JCG.

Compensation Guidelines

• Settlements up to £1,000,000 or more could include compensation for multiple MRSA-related illnesses and injuries and related financial damages, such as nursing care and lost wages.
• Very severe brain damage as a result of contracting MRSA could be awarded between £344,150 to £493,000 if the injured party suffers severe cognitive and physical disabilities and requires full-time nursing care.
• Alternatively, less severe brain damage in which the injured party makes a good recovery and is able to return to work could attract compensation between £18,700 and £52,550.
• For kidney damage, you could be compensated between £37,550 for the loss of one kidney with no damage to the other, up to £256,780 for serious and permanent damage to, or the total loss of, both kidneys.
• The worst type of chest injury that involves the total removal of one lung along with serious heart damage could be awarded between £122,850 to £183,190.
• Lung disease in a young person resulting in serious disability with a probability of worsening that leads to premature death has a JCG figure between £122,850 to £165,860. Whereas breathing difficulties that require the fairly frequent use of an inhaler could be awarded between £38,210 to £66,920.
• For very severe facial scars in relatively young claimants, the award could range between £36,340 to £118,790, with less significant facial scarring ranging between £4,820 and £16,770.
• A large number of bodily scars to the legs, arms, hands or chest could be awarded £9,560 to £27,740.

Special Damages In An MRSA Infection Claim

A few examples of special damages for MRSA claims include:

• Medical treatment. You may claim compensation for both past and anticipated future costs, including medications and physical therapy.
• The costs of care in the home. If you require care in the home during your recovery, such as a nurse, you could recover the costs of this. If you also need to pay for child care during your recovery, you may be able to claim for these costs.
• Lost earnings and other workplace benefits such as pension contributions or entitlement to overtime if you were unable to work due to your infection.

You will need to provide supporting evidence in order to claim compensation for any of these or other damages. Evidence which could help to prove these costs and losses may include bank statements, wage slips or invoices.

Please contact an advisor to find out more about how MRSA compensation payouts are calculated.

Case Study: MRSA Compensation

Following surgery, Mrs K contracted MRSA. Evidence and an investigation by legal professionals proved that the hospital did not advise Mrs K when she tested positive for the infection prior to surgery. Additionally, due to the MRSA infection, she also developed an infection in her bones (osteomyelitis), which required multiple surgeries to treat.

An out-of-court settlement was reached between the hospital and Mrs K’s solicitor for £310,000. This included compensation for Mrs K’s physical pain and emotional anguish, plus the long-term complications associated with osteomyelitis under general damages. Additionally, special damages covered her loss of earnings, home support (including a cleaner) and the ongoing cost of private medical care.

We’ve included this example case study* to illustrate how compensation can be awarded for successful MRSA claims. To discuss your situation and find out if you could claim medical negligence compensation, speak to an advisor now.

What Evidence Could Help You Claim Compensation For An MRSA Infection?

Gathering comprehensive evidence can be crucial to making successful MRSA claims against a hospital or GP. Below, we look at several key types of evidence which could help during the medical negligence claims process.

• Your medical records: Doctors’ notes, surgical notes, test results and treatment plans can help to indicate where medical staff have acted negligently. It may show that you were not tested for MRSA when you should have been or that there have been other delays to your treatment.
• Photos of symptoms: if you have visual symptoms on your skin, such as redness, leaking pus, or a swollen area, photos can help to show the progression of these symptoms.
• A diary of your symptoms. along with photos of your symptoms, a diary can help to show how you have been affected by your symptoms over a longer period of time.

A No Win No Fee solicitor from Advice could help you to make an MRSA claim. They could help you gather the evidence that can help to prove medical negligence occurred. MRSA claims can be complex, we always recommend seeking legal advice.

Is There A Time Limit When Claiming For Hospital Acquired Infections?

When making any type of medical negligence claim, you should be aware of the time limit within which the claim must be started. This is generally three years from the date of the incident or the date of knowledge (the day you learned or would have been expected to know that contracting MRSA was due to negligence). The Limitation Act 1980 sets out the different time limits which apply to compensation claims.

There are exceptions to this three-year time limit. If you would like to learn more or discuss whether you are still within the medical negligence claims time limit, speak to an advisor from our team.

Why Claim With Advice’s Expert MRSA Solicitors

If you choose to claim with Advice’s expert MRSA solicitors, you’ll be putting yourself in a very strong position by securing high-quality legal representation. We have worked in medical negligence claims for years and understand that the impact of a hospital-acquired infection like MRSA affects everyone differently. So, our solicitors are committed to the highest standards of legal professionalism, working hard to understand your unique experience and provide the support you require. 

Here are some of the ways Advice will help you throughout the MRSA compensation claims process:

• Assisting you with collecting copies of hospital hygiene reports, documents concerning infection control procedures, and other evidence to strengthen your medical negligence claim.
• Connecting you with support groups, infection-control specialists, and rehabilitative services to get you the care you need after acquiring MRSA.
• Communicating with your healthcare provider’s legal representatives on your behalf. 
• Keeping you informed about the claim’s progress, so you can stay focused on recovering from the infection.
• Negotiating a settlement that reflects the impact of the MRSA infection on your health, including any future care needs.

To learn more about getting started with an MRSA claim, and to inquire further about what our solicitors can do for you, talk to our team today using the details given below.

MRSA Claims On A No Win No Fee Basis

Advice provides expert legal representation to our clients in all MRSA claims on a No Win No Fee basis under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), so it is well worth getting in touch today. We are here to answer your questions, offer further guidance on the claims process, and assess your eligibility to claim for free. Eligible claimants will be connected with one of our dedicated medical negligence solicitors.

Here at Advice, we place a great deal of importance on CFAs, as they ensure our clients have clarity from the very beginning that they will not be required to pay any solicitor service fees before or during the claims process. There is also no service fee if the claim is lost. 

If the claim is won, the solicitor will take a success fee from your compensation. The Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013 caps the percentage that may be charged for this fee to 25%. All of these features add up to making the CFA a very desirable way of seeking compensation.

Contact us today to find out how a No Win No Fee solicitor could help with MRSA claims.

• Call us on 0161 509 2856
• Contact us online
• Our live chat has a bot-free guarantee–you’re just a click away from talking to a dedicated advisor.

Frequently Asked Questions: MRSA Claims

Below, we answer a few frequently asked questions (FAQs) about MRSA claims.

Can You Claim Compensation For MRSA?

Yes, you can claim compensation for MRSA if you can prove that substandard care caused your infection. For example, poor hygiene, such as medical staff not washing hands between patients.

What Are 5 Ways A Person Can Catch MRSA?

There are a variety of ways in which a person can come into contact with MRSA, including:

• Natural carrier, as it exists on the skin of some people, and only becomes a problem if it enters the bloodstream.
• Skin-to-skin contact between an infected person or carrier and someone with an open wound.
• Failure to properly sanitise surfaces and equipment.
• Inadequate infection control measures.
• Poor hygiene standards.

What Is The Protocol For MRSA?

The protocol to prevent the spread of MRSA infections includes:

• Patient screening.
• Decolonisation, such as specialised nasal sprays, body washes and shampoo.
• Infection control practices in the care of all patients, regardless of their MRSA status.
• Restrict the movement of patients unless clinically necessary and inform the receiving setting and transport service of the patient’s MRSA infection.
• Clean and decontaminate equipment after every use.
• Provide patients with clear and accurate information.

What Does MRSA Stand For?

MRSA stands for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, which is a type of Staphylococcus bacteria. As part of the name suggests, it is resistant to several types of antibiotics.

Read More About Medical Negligence Claims

Finally, we have included examples of resources from sites which could help you claim compensation and understand more about MRSA.

MRSA references:

• Get answers to frequently asked questions about Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus in this guide from Cambridge University Hospitals.
• This guide from Cancer Research UK contains information on coping with MRSA.
• Find further guidance on Staphylococcus Aureus in this government resource.

Thank you for reading our guide to MRSA claims. For further information, please contact our team.