October 30th, 2009
A mother from Birmingham has taken legal action against an out-of-hours medical care provider after her daughter died from meningitis.
Jasvinder Bharj took her six-month-old daughter Amrit to the Badger Medical Service in April 2006 after she developed a fever and a temperature of over 100 degrees C, the Birmingham Mail reports.
However, the doctor on duty sent them home and Ms Bharj claimed the baby was not examined.
Amrit’s condition worsened and she was rushed to Birmingham Children’s Hospital the next day, where she was diagnosed with pneumococcal meningitis.
She died eight days later after her parents decided to switch off her life support machine.
"I believe Amrit could have been saved if the meningitis had been picked up sooner … I am pursuing a legal case as my solicitor thinks it was unacceptable that signs were missed," Ms Bharj commented.
According to the Meningitis Trust, 20 per cent of pneumococcal meningitis cases will result in death, so early treatment of the disease is essential.
Tags: Amrit, April 2006, Birmingham Children, Children S Hospital, Eight Days, Fever, Legal Case, Mail, Medical Care Provider, Medical Service, Meningitis Cases, Mother Baby, Parents, Signs, Solicitor
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
October 28th, 2009
The parents of a girl who was left paralysed after having an operation on her back are suing the hospital where she was treated.
Laura May, now 15, had begun to develop a curvature of the spine when she was 11, the Lancashire Evening Post reports.
The girl’s parents agreed that surgery was necessary and Laura was admitted to Royal Preston Hospital in February 2005.
However, surgeon Roger Battersby Smith got too close to the spinal cord during the procedure and now Laura is unable to move from the chest down.
Christine and William May have taken legal action against Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, alleging that the surgeon did not adequately monitor the distance between his tools and the girl’s spine and was therefore negligent.
The hospital claims it took "reasonable care" to ensure Laura was safe.
Earlier in 2009, the Telegraph reported that three NHS patients every month are now receiving compensation of over £1 million each because of failures in their care in hospital.
Tags: 1 Million, Battersby, Curvature Of The Spine, February 2005, Foundation Trust, Lancashire Evening Post, Nhs Patients, Parents, Reasonable Care, Spinal Cord, Teaching Hospitals, Telegraph
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
October 26th, 2009
A 14-year-old boy has been awarded compensation for clinical negligence after a hospital admitted that its failings caused his cerebral palsy.
The unnamed victim was born prematurely at Billinge Hospital, but staff failed to properly administer ventilation, the Manchester Evening News reports.
He is now wheelchair-bound and will need round-the-clock care for the rest of his life.
The child’s parents took legal action against Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust and – after an 11-year legal battle – have now been awarded compensation that will allow them to specially adapt their home for their disabled son.
"The trust very much hopes that the compensation monies will provide life-long security and enable the individual to fulfil their potential," a spokesperson for the hospital said.
According to figures published by Scope, approximately one in 400 babies in the UK is born with cerebral palsy every year. This may be caused by a blocked blood vessel, complications in labour, extreme prematurity or illness just after birth.
Tags: 5 Million, Babies, Blood Vessel, Cerebral Palsy, Clinical Negligence, Clock Care, Extreme Prematurity, Foundation Trust, Labour, Manchester Evening News, Monies, News Reports, Nhs, Parents, Scope, Spokesperson, Ventilation, Wheelchair, Wigan
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October 5th, 2009
The parents of a man who died when a van knocked him off his bike have launched legal action against the driver of the vehicle.
Anthony Maynard, 25, was killed near South Oxfordshire in July 2008 when the van being driven by Michael Large collided with his bicycle, Get Reading reports.
He died instantly and his parents David and Susan believe Mr Large was responsible for the accident because he was driving negligently.
"I am very disappointed [that] after 13 months neither the motorist nor his insurers have admitted liability. It is now therefore necessary to issue civil proceedings," Mr Maynard senior remarked.
If it can be proved that Mr Large made an error that led to the crash, the victim’s parents will receive a compensation payout for their loss.
Last month, an unnamed cyclist was awarded £5,000 in compensation after being knocked off his bike. He suffered minor injuries and post-traumatic stress following the incident.
Tags: Action Man, Bicycle, Civil Proceedings, Crash, Driven, Launch, Maynard, Minor Injuries, Parents, Post Traumatic Stress, Reading Reports, South Oxfordshire
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
September 16th, 2009
The parents of children who fell ill with E. coli poisoning at a Surrey petting farm have expressed anger that it was not closed before the infection began to spread.
Some 37 children were affected by the bug after visiting Godstone Farm in Surrey, with three remaining seriously ill.
However, it has emerged that the farm – which allows children to pet small animals like sheep, goats and pigs – stayed open for two weeks after a case of E.coli first came to light.
According to the Telegraph, the farm could face compensation claims if the children affected suffer long-term damage.
E.coli expert Professor Hugh Pennington said: "Although the risk of it being passed on to humans is small, the effects can be catastrophic in young children."
Indeed, the BBC states that seven per cent of victims go on to suffer permanent kidney damage.
Earlier this month, Carl Riley, who said his life has been ruined after he contracted E. coli on holiday, was awarded £750,000 in compensation from his tour operator.
Tags: Anger, Bbc, Compensation Claims, E Coli, E Coli Outbreak, Expert, Kidney Damage, Parents, Pennington, Petting Farm, Pigs, Professor Hugh, Risk, Sheep Goats, Small Animals, Surrey, Telegraph, Tour Operator
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
