Fatal Medical Negligence Claims

Last reviewed: July 2026

A fatal medical negligence claim allows the family of a person who died because of substandard care to bring a claim for compensation, and it often runs alongside an inquest into the death. In England and Wales, an inquest is a court process led by a coroner to establish who died, and how, when, and where the death occurred, while a civil claim separately seeks compensation for the family’s losses. 

Losing someone because of a mistake that should never have happened is a particular kind of grief, and we support families through both the inquest and any civil claim with the same care we would want for our own.

Law Lane Solicitors advises clients and their families in clinical and medical negligence claims from our offices in Stratford, High Holborn, and Croydon. Founded in 2015, we are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and hold a Law Society of England and Wales accreditation in Personal Injury. Our commitment to getting the best results for our clients is evidenced by our average of 4.95 out of 5 based on over 1,200 reviews.

What does our fatal negligence service cover?

Fatal medical negligence work covers representation at inquests and civil claims brought on behalf of bereaved families. Our team advises and acts on the following matters:

• Representation at inquests, including preparing questions for witnesses, instructing experts and making submissions to the coroner on the scope of the investigation.
• Article 2 inquest claims, where the death occurred in circumstances requiring an enhanced investigation into whether the state failed to protect a right to life.
• Fatal Accidents Act claims, bringing a dependency claim on behalf of family members who relied on the deceased financially or for services such as childcare.
• Bereavement award claims, for the fixed statutory sum available to a narrow category of close relatives following a wrongful death.
• Estate claims, recovering damages for the deceased’s own pain, suffering and financial losses between the negligent act and death, for the benefit of the estate.
• Prevention of future deaths reports, engaging with the coroner’s power to require an organisation to explain what action it will take to prevent similar deaths.
• Claims arising from maternity, surgical, sepsis, and mental health related deaths, where clinical negligence caused or contributed to the death.

Why choose Law Lane for fatal negligence and inquest cases?

An inquest and a civil claim serve different purposes, and getting the sequencing right matters. Under section 6 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009, a coroner must hold an inquest where a death was violent, unnatural, or the cause is unknown, and where the death occurred in state detention or otherwise engages the state’s duty under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, the investigation must be independent, effective and open to public scrutiny, a standard set out in the Chief Coroner’s guidance on Article 2 inquests.

Findings from an inquest can provide evidence that strengthens a subsequent civil claim. While the inquest itself does not determine liability, evidence presented during the inquest, such as the cause of death or systemic failings, may be relevant to a civil claim. Our team includes a former GP and former nurse acting as in-house medical consultants, bringing direct clinical knowledge to the assessment and management of claims. This dual medical/legal expertise means we can spend more time evaluating the merits of a medical negligence case and take on highly complex matters that other law firms often must refuse due to lack of in-house expertise.

Civil claims following a death are brought under two separate legal routes. The Fatal Accidents Act 1976 allows dependants to claim for their financial losses and, in limited circumstances, a statutory bereavement award, while a separate claim for the benefit of the deceased’s estate can recover damages for the deceased’s own pain and suffering before death. We bring both claims together where appropriate, so that the family receives everything they are entitled to.

We have solicitors, solicitor-advocates and barristers under one roof, and our advocates regularly appear at inquests across England and Wales. We know that families in this position are grieving as well as seeking answers, and we will never give up until we have secured both the truth about what happened and the justice our clients deserve.

Get in touch

Our clinical negligence team is ready to advise you and your family on your claim today. We understand the shock and distress a fatal medical negligence event can cause, and we act with the urgency and sensitivity that these cases deserve. Please contact us on 020 7870 4870 or email: clinicalnegligence@lawlanesolicitors.co.uk. You can also attend our free, no-obligation 30 minute consultation, held every Thursday between 11am and 1pm.