Failure to diagnose scaphoid fracture leads to surgery and bone graft - £18,500
‘Simon’, 31
Bryony Doyle, a specialist medical negligence solicitor at JMW, represented ‘Simon’ in a legal battle over a hospital’s delay in diagnosing a scaphoid fracture in his wrist fracture which meant the injury went untreated. Bryony supported Simon in his fight for justice against the hospital and was successful in obtaining £18,500 in compensation for him.
Fracture missed
Simon was involved in a car accident and was taken to A&E by ambulance to be assessed. Simon had leg and wrist pain and doctors requested X-rays to check for any fractures.
A fracture to Simon’s leg was correctly identified and treated with surgery and a period of rehabilitation in hospital.
However, Simon was told that although his wrist was injured it was probably just badly bruised as no fracture had been identified on the X-ray.
Simon continued to experience pain in his wrist which later led to him having a further X-ray some months later. Simon was then finally diagnosed with a fractured scaphoid. He was then told that he would now require fixation surgery to the wrist and a bone graft to treat this because of the delayed diagnosis. Although Simon recovered from his surgery, he has been left with pain in his wrist which worsens in cold weather and has limited range of movement.
Successful medical negligence case
Simon was concerned that the fracture had not been picked up on the original X-ray and that it had gone untreated for months when it could have been healed with a cast. After being put in touch with JMW’s specialist medical negligence team his case was taken on by Bryony Doyle. Bryony claimed that the hospital had negligently failed to identify Simon’s fracture. Although the scaphoid fracture was not shown on the first X-ray, further X-rays should have been carried out two weeks later and this would have led to earlier and less complicated treatment.
The hospital admitted that Simon’s restricted movement and pain in his wrist were caused by the negligence and agreed to pay him £18,500 in compensation for his pain and suffering.
Talk to Us
If you have suffered due to medical negligence, you could be entitled to claim compensation. For more information, and for expert legal advice on any aspect of your situation, call JMW Solicitors today on 0345 872 6666. Alternatively, fill out an online contact form to arrange a time for us to call you back.
