October 12th, 2009
A woman whose leg was unnecessarily amputated after doctors misdiagnosed her with cancer has been awarded a six-figure compensation payout.
Doreen Nicholls, 72, found a lump in her foot and was referred to the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham in August 2007.
A team of orthopaedic, radiology and histology medics advised an amputation of her leg below the knee after finding symptoms of a particularly aggressive soft tissue cancer.
However, after the grandmother underwent surgery in October 2007, it was discovered that the swelling had not been cancerous after all.
Ms Nicholls sought legal advice and pursued a compensation claim against the hospital. Although it has not admitted liability, it has agreed to a six-figure payout as part of an out-of-court settlement.
"I shall never forgive the hospital for what they’ve done to me. I just want my leg back, money doesn’t mean a thing," the victim remarked.
According to recent research from Imperial College London, as many as one in six NHS patients is currently being misdiagnosed.
Tags: Amputation, Compensation Claim, Court Settlement, Doctors, Grandmother, Histology, Imperial College London, Legal Advice, Medics, Money, Nhs Patients, Nicholls, Radiology, Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Soft Tissue Cancer, Woman
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
October 8th, 2009
A woman has claimed that her unborn baby’s death was caused by a delay in getting her to hospital.
Toni Dinan, 26, was found by paramedics at her home after suffering a ruptured placenta. They radioed to see if she could be taken to Scarborough Hospital, but were told that no beds were available and that she should be driven to Hull Infirmary.
The unborn baby died during the extra 20 minutes it took to get there and Ms Dinan has now lodged a complaint with the Health Service Ombudsman about the treatment she received.
"I am blaming the hospital, I am blaming the NHS. If they had the right number of beds … we would not be having this problem and probably my baby would be here now," she commented.
A spokesperson for Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Healthcare NHS Trust said Ms Dinan was taken to Hull because it had better facilities for dangerously ill babies.
Anyone who experiences a stillbirth after what they believe to be sub-standard care may be eligible to make a claim for compensation and should seek the advice of an experienced solicitor.
Tags: Beds, Clinical Negligence, Dinan, East Yorkshire, Health Service Ombudsman, Healthcare Nhs Trust, Ill Babies, Infirmary, Paramedics, Ruptured Placenta, Scarborough Hospital, Solicitor, Spokesperson, Stillbirth, Unborn Baby, Woman, Yorkshire
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
October 6th, 2009
A family is taking legal action against the bosses of a hospital in Leeds after an incident in which a woman died during surgery.
Christine Tunnicliffe, 63, was admitted to Leeds General Infirmary in May 2007 after complaining of stomach pains, the Yorkshire Evening Post reports.
She was put onto a ventilator and taken in for an exploratory laparotomy. However, she continued to experience problems after the operation and was examined again the following day.
It was only then that a six-centimetre tear in her windpipe was discovered that was likely to be the result of the anaesthetist having to make three attempts to put her breathing apparatus in.
Ms Tunnicliffe died ten days later and her family said they are "astounded" that the tear was not noticed sooner.
"We truly believe this contributed to our mother’s sudden death," said her daughter Lynne Bradshaw.
The family is now taking legal action for clinical negligence against Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
An exploratory laparotomy is the medical term for surgery performed on the abdomen using a full-sized incision, rather than a minimally invasive approach.
Tags: Abdomen, Anaesthetist, Attempts, Breathing Apparatus, Clinical Negligence, Exploratory Laparotomy, Incision, Invasive Approach, Leeds General Infirmary, Medical Term, Nhs, Stomach Pains, Sudden Death, Teaching Hospitals, Ventilator, Windpipe, Woman, Yorkshire, Yorkshire Evening Post
Posted in Clinical Negligence News | No Comments »
October 5th, 2009
A woman is seeking compensation from her employers after an accident in which she lost the tops of two fingers.
Paulina Lleshi, 24, had been cleaning an icing machine at Spread Newco Four in January when her hand slipped into the working parts, the Mirror reports.
The machine had to remain switched on while being cleaned, but no guards were in place while the task was carried out.
Managers at the firm admitted that they had failed to keep the machine in a safe state and that guards had only been fitted after the incident.
The firm was ordered to pay £9,000 in fines and Ms Lleshi is now seeking compensation for her injuries and for lost earnings after being off work for four months.
According to the Health and Safety Executive, there were 1,236 injuries per 100,000 employees in the food and drink sector in 2007-08, with moving machinery causing 7.4 per cent of these.
Tags: Bakery, Earnings, Food And Drink, Four Months, Health And Safety, Health And Safety Executive, Lost, Mirror, Moving Machinery, Tops, Two Fingers, Woman, Worker Compensation
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
September 24th, 2009
A woman who was injured when her car skidded off a road in Cambridgeshire is seeking compensation after claiming that its surface is dangerous to motorists.
Jo Howard, 22, had been driving along Byall Fen Drove in February last year when the accident happened, Cambs24 reports.
She rounded a corner and her car skidded on a large patch of mud, sending her careering into a ditch.
Ms Howard could not work for nine months and still gets terrible headaches as a result of her facial injuries.
She is now seeking compensation and wants the surface of the road to be improved.
"I know a lot of people have come off that road and something needs to be done because it is so dangerous," the victim said.
The news follows reports earlier this month that a cyclist had been awarded compensation after his bike hit an oil spill on a road in Lancashire, leaving him badly cut and bruised.
Tags: Cambridgeshire, Crash Victim, Ditch, Facial Injuries, Headaches, Lancashire, Motorists, Ms Howard, Mud, Nine Months, Oil Spill, Road Crash, Woman
Posted in Personal Injury News | No Comments »
