October 23rd, 2009
A family from St Annes in Lancashire has been awarded compensation after hospital blunders left a little boy severely disabled.
Lynn Heap was admitted to Blackpool Victoria Hospital to give birth to Jack, but complications arose and the baby was starved of oxygen, the Blackpool Gazette reports.
He was left brain damaged and is now reliant on his family and care professionals.
The trust responsible for Blackpool Victoria Hospital admitted liability, but the family has had to fight for nine years in order to gain compensation.
This week at London’s High Court, Lynn and Richard Heap were awarded remuneration that could amount to £6 million.
Mr Heap commented: "This money will allow us to secure his future and give him the best life we possibly can."
Compensation for brain injuries will usually need to be more substantial than for other conditions, as it must cover the care of the patient for the rest of their life. It is usually paid in index-linked, yearly installments.
Tags: 6 Million, Brain Damage, Brain Injuries, Care Professionals, Gazette Reports, Heap, Hospital Blunders, Installments, Lancashire, Left Brain, London, Money, Nine Years, Oxygen, Remuneration, St Annes, Victoria Hospital
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
April 22nd, 2009
A judge at the High Court has ruled that a young woman who suffered a stroke should be awarded compensation for clinical negligence.
Samantha Cole, 30, began to suffer dizziness, headaches and vomiting in 2004 and went to her local hospital and her doctor’s surgery, Essex local paper the Gazette reports.
However, she was sent home. Her symptoms began to worsen and she eventually requested a home visit from her GP, Dr Joseph Huber, who failed to diagnose an impending stroke and did not refer her to the hospital.
Ms Cole suffered the stroke four days later and is now unable to walk unaided.
She took legal action against Dr Huber, who has now admitted clinical negligence.
Judge McMullen QC ruled that the stoke could have been prevented had the doctor spotted the symptoms sooner and said that Ms Cole should receive compensation, the sum of which will be decided at a later date.
According to Life After Stroke, some 150,000 people in the UK have a stroke – when an area of the brain is deprived of its blood supply, causing brain tissue to die – every year.
Tags: Blood Supply, Brain Tissue, Clinical Negligence, Dizziness, Dr Joseph, Essex, Gazette Reports, Gp, Headaches, Joseph Huber, Local Hospital, Samantha, Stroke Victim, Young Woman
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April 20th, 2009
A man who slipped on a temporary wheelchair ramp has received compensation from his former employer.
Warren Spour, 36, worked at South Tyneside College in South Shields when the accident occurred in October 2006, the Shields Gazette reports.
He had been walking into a temporary classroom over the wheelchair ramp, which was wet with rain, when he slipped and landed heavily on his shoulder and wrist.
Mr Spour launched a compensation claim against the college, alleging that its safety procedures were insufficient for staff and pupils.
"My shoulder still hurts during the cold weather and it is arthritic. I am concerned that when I’m older it will only get worse," he added.
He is now to receive an undisclosed sum of compensation after the college admitted liability.
According to the Health and Safety Executive, almost 11,000 people were seriously injured due to a slip or trip at work last year.
Tags: Cold Weather, Compensation Claim, Gazette Reports, Health And Safety, Health And Safety Executive, Lecturer, Pupils, Rain, Safety Procedures, Shields Gazette, South Shields, South Tyneside College, Undisclosed Sum, Wheelchair Ramp, Workplace Accident
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January 6th, 2009
A six-figure sum of compensation has been paid to a woman who claims the surgery she had on her back left her in a worse position than she had been in beforehand.
The unnamed 49-year-old went to see a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the University Hospital of North Tees in 2001 when she began experiencing problems with slipped discs, the Evening Gazette reports.
It was suggested that she should have a disc replacement operation, which she agreed to and which was carried out in 2003.
However, the patient claims that she has been left with nerve damage and mobility problems that she did not have before the operation and launched a legal battle for compensation.
"I was assured it would put things right, obviously it did not," the woman commented, adding that it has knocked her confidence and rendered her unable to work.
North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust has now agreed an out-of-court settlement for a six-figure sum, but did not admit liability.
Clinical negligence occurs when a professional in the health service provides care that is judged to be below standard and this causes physical injury, death or distress.
Anyone affected should seek the advice of a legal representative.
Tags: Clinical Negligence, Confidence, Court Settlement, Disc Replacement, Evening Gazette, Figure Sum, Foundation Trust, Gazette Reports, Hartlepool, Health Service, Injury Death, Legal Representative, Mobility Problems, Nerve Damage, North Tees And Hartlepool Nhs, Six Figure, University Hospital Of North Tees, Woman
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October 30th, 2008
A construction company has paid damages to a former worker after he suffered injuries in a serious accident.
Bill Arthur, 63, was driving a vehicle in 2004 when it hit a pothole and threw him from his seat.
He suffered a dislocated elbow, wrist and shoulder, the Shields Gazette reports. As a result, he needed three operations and still suffers with pain four years later.
"Not only was I in a lot of pain and discomfort over a long period, but even now I can’t do everyday things and have to get a lot of help from my family and friends," Mr Arthur commented.
Clancy Docwra, a utilities and civil engineering firm, has now agreed to pay an undisclosed sum of compensation to Mr Arthur after it was ruled that the vehicle’s seatbelt was not working property and that the building site was unsafe.
According to the Health and Safety Executive, construction and agriculture have the highest rates of fatal injuries. In construction, there were 72 fatal incidents during 2007-08.
Tags: Agriculture, Bill Arthur, Civil Engineering Firm, Construction Company, Construction Worker, Damages, Dislocated Elbow, Everyday Things, Family And Friends, Fatal Incidents, Fatal Injuries, Gazette Reports, Health And Safety, Health And Safety Executive, Lot, Pothole, Seatbelt, Shields Gazette, Undisclosed Sum
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
