£200,000 Knee Injury Compensation Claim After Negligent Care
Inappropriate diagnosis and care following a fall has left Jean with permanent disability.
Jean was developing osteoarthritis in her left knee and it was expected that she would need a knee replacement at some point.
Unfortunately, she tripped during a visit to a relative, hurting her leg, and an attendance at Accident and Emergency identified a displaced fracture.
In fact, the crack in the femur which was shown on Jean’s x-ray was not displaced.
She should have been referred to orthopaedics but instead was referred for rehabilitation and physiotherapy.
Furthermore, the treatment plan for 6 weeks non-weight-bearing care was not communicated to the rehabilitation centre.
Consequently, Jean was mobilised upon her fractured leg and received physical rehabilitation and physiotherapy when she should have been non-weight-bearing in order to allow the fracture to heal.
Despite being concerned about the strength of her knee, she was discharged after a couple of weeks with mobility equipment to use at home. However, she continued to be in a lot of pain and had to seek further pain relief from her doctor.
It was only at a follow-up clinic a few weeks later, when another x-ray was taken and compared with the original, that it was realised that the fracture which had not been displaced in the first place, had now been displaced due to the mobilisation which Jean had undergone. Furthermore, the fracture resolved in a poor position, leaving Jean with shortening of the leg and permanent poor function and disability.
This appalling level of care has left Jean with significant pain and loss of mobility. She has become dependent on her wheelchair, rarely leaves her home and is unable to access the upstairs of her house.
It is particularly unfortunate that, due to the damage which Jean has suffered, she will now not be able to undergo a knee replacement.
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Think medical treatment may have caused avoidable harm?
Tell our specialist medical negligence team what happened. We will review the initial information and explain whether we may be able to help.
- Tell us what treatment you received and what you believe went wrong
- We assess the initial circumstances
- We explain whether further investigation may be appropriate
Your initial enquiry is free. No Win No Fee funding may be available.
What happens when you contact us?
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1
Tell us what happened
Call us or complete the short enquiry form with a brief outline of the treatment you received and the harm caused.
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2
We assess the circumstances
A member of our specialist team will review the initial details and may ask you for some further information.
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3
We explain your options
We will explain whether we may be able to help, the possible next steps and any funding options relevant to your enquiry.
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“Taking on the NHS is a daunting business… I was always treated with patience and understanding… helped to put my mind at rest.”
According to our medical expert, had she received the correct form of care following her initial diagnosis, she would now have a normally functioning leg and would have been able to undergo knee replacement surgery at some point if this became necessary.
Not surprisingly, Jean has found this entire experience both painful and distressing and struggles to cope with her disability. She has become reliant on significant support from her children in managing everyday tasks.
As a result of our investigation into the quality of her care, Jean has been awarded in excess of £200,000 in recognition of the pain, disability and loss of function which the substandard care has caused.
(Details which might identify our client have been changed.)
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