October 19th, 2009
A woman who was left fighting for her life after accidentally ingesting a black worm in her fish while abroad has been awarded a record sum in compensation.
Beryl Rushton, 66, went to the Dominican Republic on what was supposed to be a luxury Christmas break with her family in 2001.
While eating at First Choice’s Tropical Beach Resort on a banquet night, she discovered a black worm with blood around it in the fish steak she had been eating. That night, she became violently ill, but made it back home to Accrington.
She was admitted to hospital where she was immediately put in a high dependency ward before being transferred to intensive care when her aorta began to leak and her nervous system collapsed.
Ms Rushton is still suffering from her illness and takes 26 tablets a day for her ongoing heart and bowel problems.
She took legal action against First Choice and her lawyers were eventually able to prove that her condition occurred as a result of poor hygiene at the hotel.
The victim has now been paid £240,000 to cover her long-term care, which is believed to be a record for such holiday illness claims.
Last month, a girl who was electrocuted on holiday at the Kilifi Beach resort in Kenya was awarded £52,000 for the pain and suffering she was caused by poor safety standards at the hotel.
Tags: Aorta, Banquet Night, Beryl, Black Worm, Bowel Problems, Dominican Republic, First Choice, Fish Steak, Intensive Care, Lawyers, Long Term Care, Luxury Christmas, Nervous System, Pain And Suffering, Poor Hygiene, Poor Safety Standards, Record Sum, Rushton, Tropical Beach Resort
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October 16th, 2009
A woman who was left with a memory span of ten minutes after suffering from a brain haemorrhage has received a multi-million pound payout.
Cristina Malcolm, 41, collapsed in July 2002 with a terrible headache, but was told when she sought medical advice that it was a virus.
In fact, blood had already leaked into her brain and she then went on to suffer a more serious haemorrhage.
Mrs Malcolm was taken to Newcastle General Hospital to have half a litre of blood removed from her brain, but it was too late to reverse the damage and the patient was left brain damaged.
She now needs constant care from her husband Sandy, who describes her as "like a ten-year-old with Alzheimer’s".
GP Dr James Harrison, Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and Newcastle-upon-Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust all admitted to clinical negligence and have agreed to a compensation payout of £4.46 million.
Settlements for brain damage are typically larger than those for other injuries since the money must cover the long-term care of the patient. Anyone affected by cases such as this may wish to seek legal advice.
Tags: Acute Hospitals Nhs Trust, Brain Damage, Brain Haemorrhage, Clinical Negligence, Constant Care, Darlington, Dr James, Gp, Headache, Hospitals Nhs Trust, James Harrison, Left Brain, Legal Advice, Litre, Long Term Care, Medical Advice, Memory Span, Newcastle General Hospital, Quot
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
September 29th, 2009
A family has been awarded £410,000 in compensation after a woman died due to errors during a caesarean section.
Joanne Lockham, 45, had been admitted to Stoke Mandeville Hospital at Aylesbury in October 2007 and staff made the decision to give her a caesarean when her baby’s heartbeat dropped.
The patient was put under a general anaesthetic, but doctors mistakenly inserted the oxygen tube into her oesophagus and not her windpipe. She was deprived of oxygen for half an hour and her heart stopped a minute after the baby was born.
Ms Lockham’s life support was turned off two days later.
Her husband Peter decided to sue Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust after it admitted liability for the death and for "serious failings" in Ms Lockham’s care.
Mr Justice Burnett has now approved a compensation settlement of £410,000 for the loss and to cover the long-term care needs of the baby.
According to Babycentre.co.uk, approximately one in four pregnant women gives birth by caesarean every year.
Tags: Aylesbury, Babycentre, C Section, Caesarean Section, Doctors, General Anaesthetic, Half An Hour, Heart, Heartbeat, Hospitals Nhs Trust, Joanne, Long Term Care, Mr Justice, Oesophagus, Oxygen Tube, Pregnant Women
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September 9th, 2009
A recycling worker from Wiltshire is in line for a seven-figure compensation payment after a botched neck operation left him severely disabled.
Michael Hart underwent surgery to remove a compressed disc at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford in September 2008, in what should have been a routine procedure.
However, an error by surgeons led to complications which caused irreversible damage to Mr Hart’s spinal cord.
As a result, he is now confined to a wheelchair, with only limited movement in his hands.
Following his release from hospital in April this year, he began a medical negligence claim against Oxford Radcliffe Hospital NHS Trust, which has now admitted full liability for the mistake made by its staff.
A compensation figure is still to be agreed, but it is almost certain to be more than £1 million, as it will take into account loss of earnings and the cost of long-term care for Mr Hart.
The news comes after the NHS Litigation Authority’s annual report revealed the health service spent £807 million to settle compensation claims in the 2008-09 financial year.
Tags: Compensation Claims, Compensation Payment, Health Service, Hospital Nhs Trust, Irreversible Damage, John Radcliffe Hospital, Litigation, Long Term Care, Loss Of Earnings, Medical Negligence Claim, Michael Hart, Nhs Litigation Authority, Oxford Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford Radcliffe Hospital Nhs Trust, Recycling, Routine Procedure, Spinal Cord, Wheelchair, Wiltshire
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September 3rd, 2009
A man who was left permanently disabled because a medical condition was left untreated is to receive compensation for his suffering.
Anthony Venner was admitted to Eastbourne District General Hospital in February 2005 with suspected compression of the nerves in his spinal cord, the Rye and Battle Observer reports.
Despite the condition, also known as cauda equina syndrome, being classed as an emergency, Mr Venner was not transferred to a hospital with MRI facilities until 20:30 GMT the following day.
The scan was then delayed until the day after. By the time the victim was diagnosed with cauda equina syndrome, he had already suffered permanent back damage, urinary and bowel difficulties and loss of sensation in his legs.
Mr Venner took legal action against the NHS trust responsible for both hospitals. Although they denied liability, a settlement of £72,500 has now been reached for the patient to cover his long-term care.
According to e-MedicineHealth.com, cauda equina syndrome is considered a surgical emergency and should be treated as soon as possible.
Tags: District General Hospital, Eastbourne District General Hospital, February 2005, Legs, Long Term Care, Loss Of Sensation, Medical Condition, Mri Facilities, Nerves, Nhs Hospitals, Nhs Trust, Observer Reports, Spinal Cord, Suffering, Surgical Emergency, Venner
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