Healthcare & Medical Lawyers in Jeddah

Healthcare & medical law / malpractice in Jeddah: the medical file is either side's first line of defense

The Healthcare Professions Law defines professional health error as any error resulting from the practitioner's ignorance of technical matters they're expected to know, failure to follow accepted professional standards, or failure to exercise due care. Jurisdiction over private-right claims (compensation, diyah, arsh) has moved from the Sharia Health Committee to specialized judicial circuits within the Ministry of Justice, while some disciplinary jurisdiction remains with health bodies.

Classifying medical error: professional vs. non-professional

Non-professional error includes practicing medicine without a license, or changing specialty without Ministry approval, while professional error (most common in claims) includes misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis despite clear symptoms, prescribing the wrong medication or dosage, operating on the wrong site, or leaving surgical instruments inside the patient's body.

Limitation: one year from knowledge of the error

Article 37 of the Healthcare Professions Law explicitly states: a public-right claim isn't heard after one year from the date of knowing about the professional health error. This relatively short limitation period makes acting quickly upon discovering the error, rather than waiting for the health condition to fully stabilize, crucial to preserving the right to claim.

Voiding liability waiver clauses

Any clause limiting or exempting a health practitioner from liability in advance is void, meaning any acknowledgment a patient signs exempting the health facility from liability in advance has no legal value once actual error is established.

Our healthcare law and malpractice services

• Assessing the strength of a medical malpractice claim and gathering necessary medical evidence
• Filing malpractice compensation claims before specialized judicial circuits
• Defending practitioners and health facilities in malpractice claims
• Reviewing informed consent forms and medical documentation to reduce legal risk

How we start

1. Send us the medical case details and available documents over WhatsApp immediately (given the short limitation period)
2. We assess the strength of your position and gather supporting medical evidence
3. We file the claim and represent you through to a compensation judgment

For a medical malpractice claim in Jeddah, contact us immediately on WhatsApp given the short limitation period.

Related links