Boyes Turner’s specialist amputation negligence solicitors secured a £900,000 compensation settlement for a man who needed a below knee amputation as a result of negligent medical treatment for a popliteal aneurysm.
A popliteal aneurysm is a swelling in the popliteal artery, which is located behind the knee and supplies blood to the knee joint, thigh, calf and foot. Aneurysms are caused by weakening or bulging of the artery wall. If untreated, aneurysms can burst or rupture, or the blood vessel can become blocked from a blood clot, disrupting the blood supply and leading to loss of limbs and life-threatening injury.
Our client was 57 when he developed pain in his left lower leg. He attended A&E and was noted to have a 22mm popliteal aneurysm. He was told that his condition would need to be monitored, and his GP referred him to a vascular consultant (the defendant). At a later appointment, imaging revealed the aneurysm had grown to 25 mm. This was confirmed on a subsequent CT angiogram. However, the vascular consultant failed to take action and continued to monitor the situation.
Almost a year later, our client’s leg had become extremely painful. He was transferred by the local hospital to the vascular surgical team where he was diagnosed with a left thrombosis (blood clot) popliteal artery aneurysm. He underwent surgery but despite attempts to save his leg, he needed a left below knee amputation. As a result of the amputation, our client was unable to return to his former job and had to take a lower paid job with his employer. He was also unable to carry out domestic tasks and needed adaptations to his home to make it suitable for his disability.
We pursued our client’s claim for compensation against the vascular consultant, on the basis that he had negligently failed to surgically repair the aneurysm for fifteen months. Our client received £900,000 compensation.
If you have suffered a serious injury or disability as a result of medical negligence and would like to find out more about making a claim, you can talk to one of our specialist solicitors, free and confidentially, by contacting us here.
