February 18th, 2011
Paul was suffering from Dypuytren’s Contracture, a condition which affects the hands, causing thickening of the tissues and the fingers to bend into the palm, in his left (non dominant) hand.
Paul attended his GP and was referred to his local treatment centre in Milton Keynes in March 2009 and underwent surgery to release the contracture in May 2009. Paul was then discharged home with pain relief and told to rest and keep his hand elevated. He had also been advised by a nurse to wriggle his fingers.
Paul returned to the treatment centre to have his dressing changed and to have stitches removed on two separate occasions, at neither of these appointments was Paul referred for physiotherapy.
Three weeks following his surgery Paul was continuing to experience pain and swelling in his hand and went to his local Walk in Centre where he was reassured and discharged. At his next appointment at the treatment centre he mentioned this again but was just told to keep wriggling his fingers and that the wound was healing nicely.
Paul returned to his GP on a number of occasions and was referred for further appointments at the treatment centre. He was also referred to a Hand Therapy unit where he was given some exercises and treatments to carry out, but which he found very difficult and painful.
After several sessions Paul went back to his GP and was referred to a different consultant. At this appointment he was informed that he should have had physiotherapy, starting 48 hours after the surgery and that as a result of not having this, the hand had stiffened up.
Paul has since seen a number of specialists and has undergone treatment but continues to suffer pain and is unable to clench his hand in a fist.
Paul contacted Pryers in September 2009 and his claim was managed by Alex McKnight, a clinical negligence specialist. His claim was funded by way of a ‘no win no fee’ agreement.
Pauls claim was investigated and expert evidence was sought from a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon. With our investigations and this advice we submitted a Letter of Claim to the Defendant, who responded admitting breach of duty and offering £50,000 to settle in November 2010, which Paul was very happy to accept
The Defendant paid all of Paul’s legal costs so he had nothing to pay during or after the case and kept 100% of his compensation.
Tags: Alex, Appointment, Appointments, Clinical Negligence, Contracture, Dominant Hand, Exercises, Expert Evidence, Fingers, Fist, Gp, Milton Keynes, Nurse, Occasions, Pain Relief, Palm, Physiotherapy, Several Sessions, Stitches, Tissues
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
October 23rd, 2009
A firm in Scotland has been prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after one of its employees was seriously injured by a piece of machinery.
The unnamed man had been filling a Mobile Explosives Manufacturing Unit at Orica UK in Muirside when the accident occurred in February 2008.
He had been pouring emulsion into the machine when it suddenly blocked. As he reached in to clear the blockage, it unexpectedly started again and the man lost two of the fingers on his right hand.
An investigation by HSE officers found that the plant’s equipment was not properly guarded and there was no safe way to clear blockages that did occur. Orica UK was fined £10,000 for breaching health and safety regulations.
HSE Inspector Colin Hutchinson commented: "This was a serious and avoidable incident. All companies conducting similar operations must learn from this incident by making sure their safety procedures are both sufficient and rigidly followed."
According to statistics published by the HSE, 299,000 reportable injuries occurred at work between 2007 and 2008, resulting in the loss of six million working days.
Tags: Blockages, Colin Hutchinson, Emulsion, Explosives, Fingers, Health And Safety, Health And Safety Executive, Hse, Orica, Reportable Injuries, Safe Way, Safety Procedures, Safety Regulations, Scotland, Statistics, Unnamed Man, Workplace Accident
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August 14th, 2009
A man whose hand was badly trapped in a van door is to receive £7,000 compensation for his ordeal.
David McCulloch was delivering bread buns in Newmarket for 3663 when the faulty door slammed shut, trapping his fingers as it did so.
Employees at the Burger King restaurant had to call the fire brigade to get Mr McCulloch out and he remained in pain while they made their way to the scene.
He was found to have a broken index finger and needed seven weeks off work as a result. The victim decided to take legal action against the firm for pain and suffering, as well as lost earnings.
"My hand has healed well, but I had to miss out on seven weeks work. As a driver I rely on my hands to earn a living," he commented.
In a new development, 3663 has admitted liability and agreed to pay Mr McCulloch the £7,000 compensation.
Anyone who has been injured in an accident at work and thinks their employer is at fault may want to make a claim for compensation. Any claim must be made within three years of the date of the accident.
Tags: 3663, Buns, Burger King, Compensation Claim, David Mcculloch, Earnings, Fingers, Fire Brigade, Index Finger, Newmarket, Ordeal, Seven Weeks
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July 30th, 2009
A group of 16 families in Corby could be in line to receive millions of pounds in compensation after the high court agreed that toxic material from a local steel works caused their children’s birth defects.
Residents of the Northamptonshire town began to worry when four children were born in the mid-1990s with fingers missing and other limb deformities.
They suspected that the problems stemmed from the reclamation works at Corby’s British Steel Works between 1985 and 1999, claiming that lorries containing toxic waste had been driven open over the roads, spilling dangerous sludge in the town.
Some 16 families with disabled children took legal action against Corby Council, which denied the allegations and fought the case to the high court.
Now however, a judge has agreed that the waste did cause the children’s defects and has given them the right to pursue compensation that could total £10 million.
The case has been described as the biggest related to toxic poisoning since thalidomide, when thousands of children were born with shortened limbs as a result of exposure to the anti-morning sickness drug that was believed to have no side effects.
Tags: 10 Million, Allegations, Birth Defect, Birth Defects, British Steel, Families With Disabled Children, Fingers, Limb Deformities, Mid 1990s, Morning Sickness, Reclamation Works, Sludge, Thalidomide, Toxic Material, Toxic Waste
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
July 23rd, 2009
A man who had his hand crushed in a workplace accident is to receive compensation for the pain and suffering he was caused.
The unnamed worker, 49, was an employee at Greater Manchester Waste and was cleaning a piece of machinery when the accident happened.
Although he thought the machine was off, the room was so dark and noisy that he could not tell it was still running.
The victim’s hand was pulled into the machine’s rollers and four of his fingers were pulled off. His thumb was also severely damaged and was eventually amputated.
Greater Manchester Waste admitted liability for the accident and have agreed to pay a six-figure sum as part of an out-of-court compensation settlement for the worker.
Under health and safety regulations, employers are required to put in place reasonable precautions to remove any preventable hazards. When this does not happen and an accident occurs, the victim may be eligible to receive compensation as was the case here.
Tags: Figure Sum, Fingers, Greater Manchester, Health And Safety, Pain And Suffering, Rollers, Safety Regulations, Six Figure, Thumb, Workplace Accident
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
