Case studies

We settled a claim against Whittington Hospital NHS Trust for an alleged negligent failure to diagnose an undisplaced fracture of the radius. Our client injured his right arm after falling onto his outstretched hand and attended A&E at Whittington Hospital. The A&E clinician treating him requested an X-ray of the right arm and the claimant was subsequently diagnosed with a right forearm sprain. He was discharged without any follow up. His arm did not improve and he subsequently re-attended A&E several weeks later with ongoing pain and restricted movement. Upon further examination and another X-ray, the presence of a displaced radial fracture was noted and he required major surgery to re position and stabilise the fracture.

Our client was 18 years old when she first saw her GP in 2009 with problems with her right arm circulation and pain in her right shoulder. She was diagnosed with Raynaud’s phenomenon, a common condition that affects the blood supply to some parts of the body. She was referred for an X-ray that confirmed the presence of a cervical rib together with thoracic outlet syndrome, a condition caused by nerves and blood vessels becoming compressed by a lack of space between the base of the neck and the armpit.

We settled a claim against Portsmouth Hospital NHS Trust for the neonatal death caused by an incorrect placement of a neonatal long line which penetrated the right atrium causing cardiac tamponade.

We have secured an admission of liability from North Middlesex Hospital that it failed to properly assess a patient on two occasions. This led to a delay in diagnosis of Cauda Equina Syndrome, a condition involving spinal discs compressing sensitive nerves that can cause permanent damage if not swiftly treated by surgery.

Our clinical negligence specialists settled a claim against the Secretary of State for Health relating to treatment provided by the former Surrey Primary Care Trust (PCT) for an eye injury.

We are currently investigating a claim concerning a failed breast augmentation procedure.

We recently negotiated a settlement for two clients who suffered multiple bites from an infestation of bed bugs while on a cruise to Iceland and Dublin.

We are investigating a claim for a lady who presented at A&E 16 weeks pregnant, having experienced bleeding throughout her pregnancy. A scan the previous week had revealed a large placenta. After waiting some time, our client was reviewed by a junior gynaecologist, who proceeded to perform a physical examination using forceps. We believe that in doing so, the junior doctor may have caused our client’s membranes to rupture.

We are investigating a claim on behalf of a lady who underwent bariatric surgery in order to achieve weight reduction. Although the surgery led to weight loss over several years, as hoped, our client had a variety of post-operative problems.

We investigated and resolved a claim arising from poorly performed evisceration surgery (eyeball removal) under local anaesthetic. This was undertaken without considering the patient’s complicated ophthalmic medical history of repeated retinal detachments.

We settled a clinical negligence claim against Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust following the negligent mismanagement of our client’s orthopaedic treatment when he was nine years old.

We are advising on a case relating to the standard of ophthalmic treatment our client received during an iridotomy, performed to correct ‘narrow angles’, which left her vulnerable to developing glaucoma and possible eyesight loss.