Jason, £240,000

JMW has helped a man secure £240,000 compensation after his situation was not reviewed properly after he had a hole in his retina repaired.

Jason was a professional artist and owned his own gallery. When he was 50 years old he began to lose some vision in his left eye, and a hole in the retina (back of the eye) was diagnosed.

The hole was repaired by a consultant eye surgeon. Jason was reviewed the following day as he was feeling very unwell, and the pressure inside the eye was found to be raised. No other investigations were performed. He was given drops to reduce the pressure and an appointment for two weeks' time. He was not given any other instructions.

Torn retina diagnosis

Jason continued to feel unwell and by nine days after the operation, the left side of his face was swollen and he could see nothing with his left eye. He notified his doctor, who saw him immediately and ultra sound and CT scans were performed. He was told that there was a tear in the retina, but an attempt to repair it was unsuccessful.

The long term impact

Jason now has no sight whatsoever in his left eye and the eyeball has shrunk, making him feel disfigured. He can no longer paint well enough to sell his paintings and he has become depressed.

JMW argued that Jason should have been reviewed on the second post operative day with checks on visual acuity, light perception and intra ocular pressure. If this had been done it would have been apparent that something was wrong, and action could have been taken to preserve the sight in the eye.

The case was settled for £240,000.