Case studies

We have settled a claim on behalf of a client who fell and fractured her ankle. After being examined and having her ankle X-rayed at the A&E department at Frimley Park Hosital, she was reassured that it was only a soft tissue injury and was discharged home to attend physiotherapy.

We have recently settled a claim against a private spinal surgeon for negligent surgery to correct scoliosis which left our client suffering significant neurological damage. She has long-term severely impaired bladder function.

Our client had a temporary colostomy whilst she was treated with radiotherapy for anal cancer. After the successful cancer treatment, the temporary colostomy was reversed, but she suffered on-going problems and eventually decided to have a permanent colostomy.

Our client underwent ACL reconstruction to repair damage to the ligament. This involves creating a tunnel through the femur (thigh bone) and tibia (one of the two bones in the lower leg). A graft is then taken from the hamstring, inserted into the tunnel and secured.

Testicular torsion is a relatively rare occurrence, but when it arises it requires treatment within a very short timescale or the testicle is at risk of being lost.

In this case our client sadly ended up requiring a below knee amputation with reduced life expectancy of between one and two years.

Our client broke her leg during a charity parachute jump. The fracture did not unite properly and her treating surgeons decided a bone graft was needed. Unfortunately, they neglected to identify an infection in the wound that was diagnosed only when our client experienced severe pain because of growing pressure inside her plaster.

We recently secured £10,000 in an out-of-court settlement for a client who suffered a delay in surgical treatment to remove a blackthorn from his hand which resulted in the amputation of the tip of his thumb.

Following successful surgery in which a large, benign tumour was removed from our 8-year old client's brain by frontal craniotomy, she was transferred to the neurology ward.

We resolved a claim for damages for a family whose son died in hospital only a few hours after his birth. The mother had an uneventful pregnancy with no complications but, within hours of admission, she was noted to be suffering from pyrexia and meconium stained liquor was evident. Oxytocin was given to progress labour and the dosage increased despite a number of indications that its use was contraindicated.

Our client had a complicated medical history, with diabetes, hypertension and gallstones. She fractured one of her toes and had a below knee plaster cast fitted and was then admitted to hospital to have her gall bladder removed.

In this case, an elderly patient in hospital with a known bowel obstruction collapsed.