Case studies

We recently settled a substantial claim for damages for a client who suffered a delay in diagnosis of her breast cancer due to negligent errors in the interpretation of biopsies performed on a breast lump.

Our client had a family history and a number of risk factors for heart attack, including his own weight and high cholesterol level. He attended his GP complaining of chest pains, which the GP treated as reflux oesophagitis, but very shortly after leaving the surgery, our client collapsed in the street suffering a heart attack.

We were approached by the family of Mr Thomas who died aged 81 in July 2009. He was attended at home in Esher, Surrey, by an ambulance crew to take him to hospital. Whilst being transferred to the ambulance, Mr Thomas was physically dropped and struck his head on a step.

Not all claims relating to infections concern diseases contracted in hospital. In this case, we acted for a client with a known hole in his heart that did not need treatment, but for which he attended regular check-ups because of his increased susceptibility to cardiac infections.

Our client underwent heart surgery after which he was found to be suffering inadequate blood circulation. The hospital failed initially to consider that this might be caused by internal bleeding and it was several hours before this was identified.

In this case, we successfully pursued a claim for the widower of a lady whose GP failed to recognise the signs and symptoms that should have led him to diagnose unstable angina or acute myocardial infarction (MI).

Our client had long-standing hip degeneration and eventually was told she needed a total hip replacement. She had the operation at St Richard’s Hospital in Worthing, East Sussex and initially seemed to be recovering well. However, after her discharge from hospital, she found her pain was increasing and her mobility getting worse. The wound was infected and investigations revealed she had acquired an MRSA infection whilst in hospital at the site of the surgery in her hip.

We settled a claim on behalf of a father and his two sons in relation to the death of his wife due to a failure to identify a sub arachnoid haemorrhage in time to prevent further fatal bleeding.

We recently settled a substantial claim for damages against a GP for a client who suffered a delay in the management of an ear infection resulting in permanent visual damage, which should have been avoided if she had been properly assessed.

We acted for a young girl whose health visitor failed to suspect and identify a congenital hip dislocation that should have been detected as part of the health visitor's checks.

Our medical negligence solicitors are pursuing a claim against an osteopath and radiologist for failing to diagnose a stress fracture to our client's thigh bone. She suffered the fracture whilst running.

Our client visited his GP complaining of symptoms consistent with meningitis, which the GP initially diagnosed as an ear infection and persisted in that diagnosis for several weeks.