Boyes Turner’s amputation specialists have negotiated a £750,000 settlement for a woman in her sixties whose entire left hand, fingers and thumb of the right hand, toes of the left foot, and right leg below the knee required amputation following negligently delayed, inadequate treatment of post-operative sepsis and necrotising fasciitis. She suffered psychological injury in addition to her extensive physical injuries.
Sepsis
Our client had developed sepsis whilst in hospital after surgery on her bowel but her condition was left to deteriorate and was then treated with inadequate antibiotics. When she underwent further investigative surgery which revealed that she had a perforated bowel, the ineffective antibiotics were continued and extensive signs of sepsis and necrotising fasciitis were mistaken for bruising from her surgery. Her wounds were surgically cleaned but she remained infected, becoming increasingly unwell with septic shock. She was admitted to ITU where she suffered multi-system organ failure, ischaemia, brachial thrombosis and extensive peripheral vascular compromise leading ultimately to gangrene in her hands and feet.
Medical Negligence claim
Our client approached us after another firm of solicitors had advised her that her claim could not be pursued. We applied for her medical records and investigated the claim with the help of trusted medical experts in colorectal surgery, intensive care, plastic surgery, microbiology, orthopaedics and radiology. Our experts advised us that our client’s care whilst in hospital was negligent, and we pursued the claim on the basis that our client’s necrotising fasciitis, additional surgery and amputations would have been avoided but for the defendant’s negligent delays in diagnosis of her sepsis, inappropriate antibiotic treatment without the input of a microbiologist and further delays in diagnosis and treatment of her necrotising fasciitis.
The defendant strongly denied liability, eventually accepting only that our client did have sepsis but denying that their treatment was negligently delayed, inappropriate or that a microbiologist should have been consulted sooner based on the opinions of their own experts.
During preparations for trial, however, settlement negotiations took place and the case settled for £750,000, enabling our client to pay for prostheses, an adapted vehicle and other necessary equipment, therapies and adaptations to her home.
If you have suffered amputation or another disabling injury as a result of medical negligence, contact us by email at [email protected].
