Boyes Turner’s medical negligence solicitors secured a compensation settlement for a 49-year-old man who was left with permanent instability in his knee after staff at two different hospitals failed to diagnose and treat his ruptured quadriceps tendon.
Our client was taken to hospital by ambulance after suffering an injury to his knee in a fall. He was told that he had a muscle strain and was sent home with painkillers and crutches. No x-rays were taken. The pain did not subside and his knee remained very swollen, so he went to the A&E department of a different hospital on two different occasions. He was told on both occasions that he had strained his muscle and advised to continue taking painkillers.
His symptoms still did not improve, so he attended his GP surgery. He was referred to a consultant orthopaedic surgeon who diagnosed him immediately with a ruptured quadriceps tendon. Arrangements were made for him to have open surgery to repair the rupture. Surgery took place five months after his attendance at the first hospital A&E. Following the operation, he was mobilised in a plaster cast and then had to wear a lockable hinged knee brace. He had physiotherapy treatment to build up his muscle strength.
We pursued a claim for compensation for our client against the first hospital which had failed to diagnose the ruptured quadriceps tendon. The delay of five months in undergoing surgery led to an incomplete recovery from the injury. Our client continues to experience problems with kneeling and instability, affecting his ability to work.
The defendant hospital made a partial admission of liability (responsibility for our client’s injury). The claim concluded with an out-of-court compensation settlement.
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.
