Freya, 18

Eighteen-year-old Freya went through several painful operations during her teenage years and has been left with some physical disabilities after an X-Ray was misinterpreted and a hip injury called slipped upper femoral epiphysis was not diagnosed. After Freya’s case was taken on by the clinical negligence specialists at JMW Freya was awarded £1.35 million in compensation to enable her to cope with the life-long financial consequences of the errors.

X-ray misinterpreted

Freya first started to suffer from pain in her groin area when she was 11 and was taken to the GP by her parents to get checked out. The GP referred Freya for an X-ray of her pelvis which the radiographer incorrectly reported as showing normal appearances of both hips. In actual fact, the X-ray showed a right slipped femoral epiphysis (SUFE) and Freya needed to be referred to an orthopaedic surgeon immediately. Nevertheless, Freya was treated with pain medication and physiotherapy however her symptoms did not improve.

Freya returned to her GP 5 months later as her pain continued and she was sent for another X-ray which showed a significant deterioration in the hip joint and an urgent referral to orthopaedic specialists was arranged.

Freya was seen by orthopaedic consultants at a specialist hospital where she eventually underwent a right hip cuneiform osteotomy. She needed a series of painful operations over the next few years, which affected her schooling. There were many weeks when Freya was reliant on a wheelchair for her mobility in between surgery, and she also required help with washing and dressing from her parents.

Successful medical negligence case

As a result of the negligent treatment, Freya experiences ongoing problems with her right hip which include pain and reduced range of movement. She is not able to walk long distances and can no longer participate in her previous hobbies of dancing and gymnastics. She sometimes uses a stick and struggles with stairs at school and using the bathroom and her confidence has been impacted.

Medical experts instructed by JMW were of the opinion that Freya would now need a series of hip replacements over her lifetime and that this would impact her ability to work and have a family.

The Hospital admitted that there was in fact a failure to diagnose the right side slipped femoral epiphysis (SUFE) from the initial x-ray and that the delay in diagnosing and operating on the hip had resulted in a much worse outcome than would have been. With early detection and treatment, Freya would have had a more straightforward operation to pin the hip and would have gone into adulthood essentially with a normal hip and no symptoms.

Freya’s father was put in contact with the medical negligence specialists at JMW and her case was taken on by Melissa Gardner. Melissa carried out a thorough investigation of Freya’s care, instructing leading medical experts. After the case was put to the hospital trust it made a full admission of negligence and that this had caused Freya’s significant injury. Melissa was then able to negotiate a compensation settlement, successfully securing £1,350,000 so that she could purchase the care, equipment and aids she requires to cope with her disability.